Nick Piccone
The Sixers are drafting Ben Simmons if you’d listen to 99% of the experts. David Aldridge, who pens the Monday Morning Tip for NBA.com, doesn’t think it’ll make sense for the Sixers to draft him… unless they were positioning themselves to trade Jahlil Okafor.
Simmons is a four, the Sixers believe, but they see him at that position the way the San Antonio Spurs utilize Kawhi Leonard at the three — a forward who initiates the offense, and through whom the team can run its offense. They also remind you that when Leonard was first drafted, very few believed he’d ever be a good perimeter shooter. The same kind of improvement is possible for Simmons, who shot just 33 percent on 3-pointers in his lone season at LSU.
Yet the Sixers already have Okafor at the four, and possibly Saric next year. Taking Simmons wouldn’t make sense unless they were determined to trade Okafor, whose up and down rookie season hasn’t adversely affected his value around the league. And trading Okafor would be the easiest and best way for Philly to get another high first-round pick, which the Sixers covet.
There is strong support within the organization for Nerlens Noel, who provides defense and rebounding that none of Philly’s other bigs provide. Keeping him would give Philly the flexibility to keep another offense-dominant big. But the Sixers tried playing Okafor and Noel together last year, with terrible results. And can Noel play in the modern age of basketball, when centers are increasingly shorter and more versatile offensively?
But until Embiid shows he can play regularly, Philly has to keep a center like Noel on the roster. They can’t take the risk of Embiid breaking down again.
We mentioned last week that the Boston Celtics covet Okafor, and a deal might happen if the Sixers make the call. Aldridge’s column brings into question what other moves the Sixers will make if and when they draft Simmons. It just got a whole lot more interesting.