Jahlil Okafor

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Raptors

January 18th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Will Joseph

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis is taking the next step in his evolution as a budding star by learning what it’s like to play without Carmelo Anthony, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. With Anthony missing the last two games, Porzingis has been the focus of the defense’s attention, Bondy adds. While Porzingis conceded it has been challenging to play as the focal point of the offense, he understands he will benefit from the experience, Bondy notes.

“I have to learn from Carmelo, the way he does it,” Porzingis said. “He always gets the ball whenever we need him to get the ball and those are the things I need to learn.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers should not trade rookie center Jahlil Okafor because he possesses a superior offensive skill-set that will likely get even better, John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News opines. Smallwood, instead, suggests the Sixers move third-year center Nerlens Noel. While Okafor’s defense needs improvement, his offensive output is so rare for a young center that the Sixers would be wise to build around him, Smallwood surmises.
The Raptors enjoyed a strong first half despite being without center Jonas Valanciunas half the time and with prized free agent acquisition DeMarre Carroll missing time after recovering from knee surgery, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes.
Robert Covington has rewarded Sixers coach Brett Brown‘s patience with him by showing improvements in his shot, rebounding and defense, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News relays.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Thomas, Dinwiddie

January 11th, 2016 at 10:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers will eventually have to decide between Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, an unnamed league executive told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Daily News. That duo hasn’t played well together, the executive explained, in part because neither has the shooting range to stretch defenses. It will be imperative to shed one of them via trade if Joel Embiid returns next season from foot surgery because it will essentially give Philadelphia three starting-quality bigs, the story continues. In that case, it makes more sense to keep Noel because Okafor and Embiid are limited defensively, the executive opined to Pompey. “They are both centers,” he said. “They both can only guard centers. They can’t defend power forward or stretch fours in this league.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Knicks small forward Lance Thomas could be a candidate for the Most Improved Player Award and that might make it difficult for the club to re-sign him, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Opposing coaches have taken notice of Thomas’ two-way impact off the bench, going out of their way to praise him, Berman continues. Thomas, arguably the team’s best defender, signed a one-year, $1,636,842 contract during the offseason but his price tag going back into the free agent pool this summer is growing and the Knicks will have competition for his services, Berman adds.
The Pistons plan on keeping second-year guard Spencer Dinwiddie with their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids for the foreseeable future, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. With the return of Brandon Jennings from his Achilles injury, Dinwiddie is the team’s No. 4 point guard on the roster behind Reggie Jackson, Jennings and Steve Blake.
The Heat recalled shooting guard Josh Richardson on Monday from their D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team’s website announced. Richardson has played four games with the Skyforce this season and helped them capture the D-League Showcase Championship.
The Wizards could decide to become sellers nearing next month’s trade deadline if they don’t go on a hot streak or get most of their key pieces healthy before that point, league sources indicated to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

Trade Candidate: Jahlil Okafor

January 2nd, 2016 at 11:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

For much of the 2014/15 campaign, many pegged Jahlil Okafor as the top prospect for the 2015 draft. His footwork, ball-handling skills and overall fundamentals enraptured scouts and fans alike. Yet after two months of NBA action and several off–court incidents, questions remain about whether the big man can become a franchise cornerstone.

January 2, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) controls the ball against Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports Images

Part of the issue is the fit in Philadelphia. Okafor has no future in the league playing any position besides the five spot, something that’s even more true with the small-ball trend taking over the league. The problem, at least on the court, lies in the personnel around him. Nerlens Noel is clearly a center despite playing over half of his minutes at the four spot. Joel Embiid showcased some outside shooting during his time in college, but there is little evidence that he can play any position beside the five at the NBA level. Whenever the Sixers get out of the rebuilding industry and start looking to field a competitive team, they’ll have some decisions to make, as there is just no room at the inn for all these big men.

Making a trade will be the logical option at some point and maximizing value has been a constant during the Sam Hinkie administration. The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday just months after he appeared in his first All-Star Game, and they dealt Michael Carter-Williams when he was the reigning Rookie of the Year. Okafor’s trade value has probably taken a hit since he came into the league, but young big men with his kind of talent don’t become available very often, and if the Sixers dangle him in trade discussions, they should be able to fetch an excellent return.

Earlier in the season, John Smallwood of The Daily News wondered if the Sixers should consider a trade for Derrick Rose. Franchise-altering stars rarely become available, and although Rose hasn’t consistently played at an MVP level since injuring his knees, this is the type of move the Sixers should be making if they’re going to claim a strategy of championship-or-bust. Smallwood suggested the team offer the Lakers’ pick, which was acquired in the MCW trade, and one other late first-round pick for Rose. That Lakers pick is one of the league’s best trade assets, given Los Angeles’ struggles, and it may not make sense to give that up for the gamble that Rose has become. A deal centered around Okafor and Rose would be better for Philadelphia, and it would make sense for Chicago.

The Bulls have an anemic offense and the team chemistry has been shaky to say the least. With Jimmy Butler‘s emergence as a No. 1 option, the Bulls may be better off retooling around their star wing. Chicago has reportedly made Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah available in search of an upgrade on the wing opposite to Butler. Finding value for Noah would be tricky, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors noted in Noah’s trade candidate piece, and trading Gibson would likely net a greater return, but it carries the risk of turning a position of strength into one of weakness if Noah and Pau Gasol depart after the season. In addition to adding a young pillar who could help carry the team offensively, the acquisition of Okafor would allow Chicago to explore the trade market for another perimeter player.

Philadelphia would have to include other players in order to have the financial ability to acquire Rose, as Okafor is making roughly $4.58MM this season and the Sixers currently sit nearly $10MM under the salary cap. They could toss Carl Landry with his $6.5MM salary and Isaiah Canaan, who is making slightly over $947K, into a package with Okafor and they would have a successful trade from a salary matching standpoint. Both sides would likely argue that the other should attach an asset to make a deal happen, but I’d speculate that Chicago would ultimately have to pony up a little more value, such as a protected first-round pick, to get a deal done because of the size of Rose’s deal.

His contract, which has slightly over $41.4MM remaining on it and includes a 15% trade kicker, makes acquiring him a deterrent for nearly every franchise. Yet Philadelphia is built a little differently than the typical NBA team. Acquiring Rose and his massive contract wouldn’t carry the same opportunity cost for Philadelphia as it would for the other 28 franchises to do the same. As noted above, The Sixers are nearly $10MM under the cap this season and the team has only slightly more than $25.5MM in guaranteed salary on the books against a projected $89MM salary for the 2016/17 season, as our Salary Cap Projection page indicates. Philadelphia hasn’t spent all of its cap space in any season during the Sam Hinkie era and there have been rumors that agents would steer their clients away from signing in Philly once they were ready spend. The presence of Jerry Colangelo might bring change to that, but the team can’t reasonably believe a true star is going to arrive via free agency yet.

Rose, who has missed the last few games because of his hamstring injury, hasn’t resembled anything close to a franchise player this season, averaging just 14.4 points, 5.1 assist and 0.6 steals per game, while shooting 38.6% from the field, including an icy 24.6% from behind the arc. The Memphis product has suffered numerous injuries over the last calendar year, including a torn right knee meniscus and a sprained left ankle. His preseason orbital fracture led him to spend two weeks in a dark room doing almost nothing, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Having that type of facial injury has to alter your mental psyche on the court, and the Sixers would give Rose an environment this season where he could simply work on his game, similar to an elongated D-League stint. This is a perfect buy-low opportunity for the franchise and it’s also a winning situation for Rose. The former No.1 overall pick could benefit from running a Mike D’Antoni offense, which has historically been favorable to point guards, and set himself up for another lucrative payday at the end of the 2016/17 season.

Picture a healthy — both mentally from a basketball standpoint and physically — Rose running the break during the 2016/17 season with Noel and Jerami Grant galloping alongside him. Nik Stauskas is sprinting down the sideline, spacing the floor and taking attention away from Rose, while Robert Covington is trailing the play, staying ready for the spot-up 3-pointer in transition. Picture Embiid, hopefully standing on two healthy feet, cheering on the team near the bench as he gets ready to headline a respectable second unit that includes Dario Saric, Ish Smith and Richaun Holmes. Add in a likely top-three overall pick in the 2016 draft, as well as a few other rookies, and you can see a team with an identity and a future.

This scenario may be a pipe dream, but if the point guard’s game can resemble anything close to an All-Star’s again, trading Okafor for him would put Philadelphia back on the NBA map. If Rose suffers a setback or simply remains ineffective, the Sixers are right where they are now — in a position to tank. The difference would be that they took a high-ceiling risk that involved the acquisition of a possible game-changing star to arrive at the same point, and that would be a path to the lottery that other team owners can’t gripe about.

And-Ones: Okafor, D-League, Bass

December 31st, 2015 at 10:21pm CST by Will Joseph

After some incidents away from basketball, Sixers rookie Jahlil Okafor is looking to overcome what’s been a rocky start to his promising career, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports writes. Okafor told Spears he has received mentoring from former and current NBA veterans. The Sixers, as Spears points out, have reportedly looked into adding veterans to help the situation.

“When it first happened it was clear that his world was rocked in the biggest way, I’m assuming, of his sporting life,” Sixers coach Brett Brown told Spears. “You can see it in his eyes, his demeanor. His swagger got bumped around a little bit. We explained a lot. ‘We all go through mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up. You screwed up. We got people here that will help you. Time will pass.’ I feel what I see now is a distant memory. It’s taught all of us and I see him playing basketball again.”

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Celtics coach Brad Stevens expressed gratitude for the job Brandon Bass did while the veteran power forward was in Boston, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. The Lakers signed Bass in July after he spent the previous four seasons with the Celtics, where he helped usher a rebuilding project. In that sense, his current job in Los Angeles is much like the one he had in Boston, Blakely writes. “I really like Brandon; I’m very fond of Brandon,” Stevens said. “He really worked hard and helped get this thing going in the right direction with his work ethic, the way he took care of his body, the example he set for his young teammates.”
The Hawks recalled Edy Tavares from the Austin Spurs of the D-League, Atlanta announced in an emailed press release. Tavares was assigned to Austin yesterday via the flexible assignment rule because the Hawks do not have their own affiliate.
The Pacers recalled Rakeem Christmas from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via its website.

Atlantic Notes: Early, D-League, Sixers

December 31st, 2015 at 8:46am CST by Eddie Scarito

With the shooting of Knicks forward Cleanthony Early on Wednesday, plus a number of other unfortunate player incidents over the past year, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News opined that free agents may avoid signing with New York based franchises going forward. Nets point guard Jarrett Jack acknowledged that living and playing in New York is different than many other NBA locales, and believes players are targets because of the popularity of the sport in the area, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “Since being in New York for a couple years, and how seriously sports are taken in this city, you’re a lot more visible than your typical team. When the Knicks draft somebody it’s headline news, or when they trade for somebody it’s headline news,’’ said Jack.

“That’s where New York separates itself from a lot of cities. That can be good and bad, but I think you’ve just got to understand what it is and just take it for what it’s worth. Whenever I go somewhere … day or night, we always survey the crowd,” Jack continued. “We always understand what the crowd is wherever we’re going. Like I said, no matter where you go, no one deserves for that to happen. A lot of people want to say ‘It’s his fault, he [Early] shouldn’t have been [out]. How is it his fault?”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown is still trying to figure out how too best utilize Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, and admits the answer to this particular riddle still eludes him, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays.”The four-five, five-four you know it’s still a mystery right now,” Brown said of deciding where to play the two big men. “It really is. And I think we are going to have this conversation throughout the whole year. Trying to grow those two guys is a challenge. So for me, it ends up more matchups than this overwhelming responsibility where it hurts the team. You know we want to win games. How I navigate that is a challenge.“
The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey, point guard Terry Rozier and shooting guard R.J. Hunter to their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This will be Mickey’s ninth stint with the Red Claws on the season, the fourth for Rozier and the first for Hunter.

Sixers Notes: Okafor, Hinkie, Colangelo, D’Antoni

December 27th, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jahlil Okafor‘s camp didn’t want him to end up with the Sixers before Philly drafted him in June, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. GM Sam Hinkie wasn’t allowed to interview Kristaps Porzingis at his predraft workout in Las Vegas, Pompey also hears. An agent told the Inquirer scribe in October that he wouldn’t want his maximum-salary clientele signing in Philadelphia and would advise mid-tier clients to play for the Sixers only if the team offered to overpay them. It all points to Hinkie’s difficult dealing with agents, though the GM says to Pompey that new executive Jerry Colangelo is changing that.

“Yeah, he’s helped there, too,” Hinkie said. “I think he’s had lot of good advice and I had lots of questions there about ways in which we could do things better. And he’s helped on that front already.”

See more from Philly:

Colangelo implied that he doesn’t have as much power with the Sixers as some might assume, saying that this experience is different from his time with the Suns “because in the past, the buck always stopped with me,” notes Arizona Republic columnist Paula Boivin. Of course, Colangelo was in charge of the Suns as an owner, and he’s merely advising Sixers owner Josh Harris, so the comment isn’t necessarily about his role in Philly’s basketball operations.
Mike D’Antoni said he’s “happy as heck” to be back in coaching as the lead assistant for the Sixers, and referred to head coach Brett Brown as the top draw for him to come to Philly, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Nerlens Noel explained some of the reasons why he’s such a fan of Sixers trade acquisition Ish Smith, who also played with the team at the end of last season. Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com has the details. “I think it’s his experience,” Noel said. “Him being as athletic as he is at the point guard position, and being able to create. Just a willing passer. He makes things a lot easier for the people around him. He makes them better.”

Sixers Notes: D’Antoni, Porzingis, Saric

December 19th, 2015 at 2:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers coach Brett Brown is excited about the team’s addition of Mike D’Antoni as associate head coach, saying of D’Antoni, “He’s a hell of a resource and a hell of a coach. I think we’re all going to benefit,” Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. Brown noted that he had wanted to add an experienced coach to his staff for some time, and the suggestion about hiring D’Antoni came from newly hired team executive Jerry Colangelo, Begley writes. “We started sharing names, and he mentioned the name Mike D’Antoni. I said, ‘Do you think he would do it? That’s a hell of a name,‘” Brown said. “Less than 24 hours later, he came and said, ‘Mike is yours.’ And so the speed of it caught me way off guard.”

Brown also mentioned that the team spent several days recruiting D’Antoni, and the former head coach was asked why he would want to join a rebuilding team like Philadelphia, to which D’Antoni responded, “I’m bored, I miss the game,” Begley adds.

Here’s more from Philly:

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis has observed the early season difficulties Sixers center Jahlil Okafor has endured and feels fortunate that Philadelphia chose the Duke big man, allowing New York to swoop in and select him at No. 4 overall, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “That would be tough,’’ Porzingis said of playing for a losing squad like the Sixers. “That’s basketball sometimes. Losing like that is very tough. I’ve been on a losing team last season, the first part of the season. It’s really tough. The negativity is always there. It’s not a good feeling. You mentally grow as you go through those tough times.’’
Porzingis appreciates the fact that the Knicks surrounded him with veteran leaders, a perk that Okafor doesn’t currently possess in Philadelphia, Berman adds. “I’m in a really good situation,’’ Porzingis said. “Having veterans around me to help me out on and off the court. He’s in a tough situation. I’m sure he’ll find a way to make his team win and get better as a player and how to be smarter off the court.’’ The Sixers are working toward correcting this deficiency, and are reportedly considering signing Elton Brand or Shane Battier.
Draft-and-stash prospect Dario Saric, in an interview with SlamNRoll.com, re-iterated his intention to join the Sixers next season. “I’m always in touch with the people of Philadelphia, I always talk with GM Sam Hinkie and coach Brett Brown,” Saric said. “We talk about a lot of things that have to do with me and the 76ers. Before I was drafted, I promised to Efes that I will come here for two years and of course I promised to Philadelphia that after [this] period of time, I will go to them. It is a certain procedure that I feel I have to pass through.“

Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Sixers, Scola

December 16th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA has approved ownership transfer of 100% of the Nets and the Barclays Center to Mikhail Prokhorov, Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg.com reports. The franchise and the arena were given a combined valuation of $1.9 billion, though the precise breakdown of that amount is unknown at this time, Soshnick adds. This arrangement will give Prokhorov full ownership of both the Nets and the Barclays Center when finalized, the Bloomberg scribe relays. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Despite all the criticism levied against the Sixers‘ rebuilding plan, one major advantage the team had when making trades was the lack of immediate urgency to win, a perk that may now be gone with the arrival of Jerry Colangelo, Derek Bodner of Phillymag.com writes. The inconsistent play of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor played a major role in Philadelphia bringing in Colangelo as well as looking to speed up its timetable to return to respectability, Bodner adds.
Raptors power forward Luis Scola likely wouldn’t have been allowed to leave Indiana and sign with Toronto this past summer if it had been up to Pacers coach Frank Vogel, writes Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun. “One of my favorite players of all time,” Vogel said regarding Scola. “One of them, yeah. Just a guy who has a great approach in the locker room, did his job and it carries over to his teammates and the entire team. He’s just a winner, he plays harder than everybody on the court every time he is out there and it’s no surprise he is helping contribute to their winning culture.” When asked why Scola was allowed to depart, Vogel diplomatically responded, “You would have to talk to [team president] Larry [Bird] about that.”
When asked if his expectations for the Nets‘ 2015/16 season have changed in light of their difficult start, Joe Johnson offered little in the way of enthusiasm, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. “I didn’t really know what the expectations were. I honestly didn’t know,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know how good we would be, I didn’t know how good we would be as a team. So, I just came in and did what I was asked to do, and I’m just trying to help out.”

Eastern Notes: Okafor, Stokes, Jennings

December 15th, 2015 at 7:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers rookie center Jahlil Okafor has already experienced various off–court incidents, but he and the team look at them as an opportunity for growth, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune writes. “Those of us who know him or get a chance to talk to him, all you have to do is look at him and let him interact and you see there’s goodness in him,” coach Brett Brown said. “He’s a good guy. The situation that happened was unfortunate. He was ashamed, he was embarrassed. That seems like a distant memory.”

“I’m sure there are scars, but raising anybody in the NBA, let alone somebody that has a profile like he has at 19 years old, there are challenges all over the place,” Brown continued. “In a twisted way, I hope we look back at that experience — all of us, from a program’s perspective, from his perspective — and it toughens him up, it hardens him, it teaches him a real hard life lesson. We’re with him. I am personally with him. I’m very fond of him.”

Here’s more from the East:

The Pistons have not discussed any potential trades regarding injured point guard Brandon Jennings, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. “We haven’t one talk with anybody about him,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “I just think that people assume that with Reggie Jackson here and the way Brandon played last year, I think people just make that assumption. He’s no more or less available than anybody else we have. Until he’s back on the court and playing, there’s nothing to even talk about. My preference is, that when he’s fully healthy, he’s able to help us. That’s my preference. I’ve even talked to him about a vision going forward where he helps us even beyond this. But right now, we’re just trying to get him back.”
Bulls center Joakim Noah‘s minutes have been down this season, though according to coach Fred Hoiberg, that is more a product of the team’s frontcourt depth than a decline in the big man’s performance, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays. “That’s the luxury, slash, problem we have with our bigs,” Hoiberg said. “It’s not always going to be the same guy. Taj Gibson finished the last game with Pau Gasol. Nikola Mirotic has finished a lot of games for us. And it was Jo [Saturday]. That’s what we have. We’ve got the depth to play different lineups and go with the guy that’s getting the job done.“
The Heat have recalled power forward Jarnell Stokes from their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, the team announced. Stokes has appeared in seven games during his two stints with the Skyforce, averaging 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.29 steals, 1.14 blocks in 29.0 minutes per contest.

Sixers Talk With Elton Brand, Shane Battier

December 14th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers are talking to Elton Brand and Shane Battier in the hopes they can serve as role models for the team’s slew of younger players, sources tell TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. It’s unclear whether the idea is for them to serve in a playing, coaching or front office capacity. Battier retired as a player after the 2013/14 season, while Brand, who spent the past two seasons with the Hawks, cast doubt on the idea of playing again during an interview this past summer. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com identified Brand on Friday as someone to keep an eye on as the team looks for veterans to add to its roster.

New chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo dismissed the idea that son Bryan Colangelo, the former Suns and Raptors GM, will join the Sixers front office, telling Aldridge that it’s mere speculation. Still, the team does plan to bring aboard Mike D’Antoni as an assistant coach, Aldridge writes.

Former commissioner David Stern played a role in bringing the Sixers together with Jerry Colangelo, a source tells Aldridge. The NBA was “irate” at the way the Sixers handled the reports of Jahlil Okafor‘s various off–court incidents, according to Aldridge. GM Sam Hinkie treated the news with his trademark silence.

“I would say I was present when decisions were made, but there are some things we can do better,” Hinkie said. “We purposely laid low, and I purposely laid low, for a number of reasons. And I’ve always been very comfortable, and [coach] Brett [Brown]‘s been very comfortable, being out front for us when need be, because we trust each other, and we’re attached at the hip in a lot of ways. But sometimes, another voice helps.”

Brand, a David Falk client who spent four years with the Sixers between 2008 and 2012, averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game for a 60-win Atlanta team last season. This past spring represented the first time the former No. 1 overall pick appeared in the conference finals. Battier, a client of Jim Tanner, went to the finals in all three of his years with the Heat, with whom he last played, and twice won the championship. He averaged 4.1 points in 20.1 minutes and shot 34.8% from 3-point range in his final season on an NBA roster.

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