Will Joel Embiid Be Able To Mesh With Jahlil Okafor?
In short, the answer to that question is yes. But I’m here to explain why.
Floor spacing is hard to come by in Philadelphia. With Ben Simmons and Nerlens Noel seemingly unable to score reliably from outside of 10 feet, there is a need for anyone who can shoot from midrange and beyond. Well, with Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, coach Brett Brown has two seven-footers who can hit the midrange jumpshot.
The best comparison for Joel Embiid is to think of him as a version of Hassan Whiteside but with a better midrange game. For Okafor, there are not many current players you can compare him with as true back-to-basket players are like as rare as two dollar bills. Last year, he showed he has a decent jumper, but with Nerlens Noel clogging the middle, it was hard for him to establish an inside game to make his midrange jumper that much more of a threat.
Embiid and Okafor can run a high post-low post offense and do so effectively. It is rare for a team to have one seven footer who can shoot the midrange J at a high clip, so having two of those players is almost unheard of. Plus, it will provide some outlets for Ben Simmons when the point forwards wants to try a dribble-drive play.
Though it has yet to be proven that Embiid will be able to shoot from midrange in the pros as he did in college, his days at Kansas and his workout clips from recent months are very exciting and encouraging for NBA fans. He seems to have a very well-rounded game, and if he can protect the rim, it will make the Sixers a bit of a trap team for playoff teams that are weak on the interior, such as the Warriors.
If the two big men do not get too hung up on posting up and are willing to step out and shoot from 20 feet, it will add a whole new dimension to the interior-based Sixers offense. It seems that 35 wins is the ceiling for the young Philadelphia squad, but if everything goes to plan, they can make it hard for some really strong teams, and the twin towers in the middle will play a major role in frustrating some great teams.