Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor are not going anywhere, at least for now. The Philadelphia 76ers seem to have realized the fact that they will not be getting anyone good in return so they may as well use the two promising big men moving forward.
All this was confirmed no less by Bryan Colangelo via Philly.com, in what seems to have been a late realization on what the Sixers have at their hands. Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor thus join a pretty tall frontline, something that could be lethal if head coach Brett Brown is able to pull the right strings.
Abundance of big men for Philly
Aside from Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, the Sixers have other big men to bank on. The list includes rookie Ben Simmons plus the yet-to-debut Joel Embiid. Dario Saric is another big man at Brown’s disposal, meaning the only waterloo for the Sixers could be chemistry and an able backcourt to compliment the big men.
Why teams are thinking twice
Colangelo admitted that they received several offers for Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor. Obviously, the pitches were not reasonable on their end. It is likely that these were little-known players or even future draft picks with some teams apprehensive.
Noel and Okafor have had their share of injuries but have so far come back well. They are budding players who need still need to be developed, meaning it may take years before the two render their full potential.
Of the two, Nerlens Noel is seen as a promising big guy who will eventually evolve into an NBA star. The numbers may not be eye-popping for now but all that is expected to change moving forward.
The same holds true for Okafor who would have had a good rookie year molding his craft than getting involved in off-court issues. Approaching his second year, Okafor would be wise to work on his defense and maturity to raise his stock even more.