It is encouraging for the Philadelphia 76ers that both Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor were selected to the U.S. team for the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend, but their rookie has been the more impressive player this year.
Despite his off-court troubles, Okafor has proven to be a dominant threat in the paint, and he’ll only get better with time. He was a cornerstone for the Duke Blue Devils at the college level and won them a championship alongside Tyus Jones. He leads the rookie class with 17.4 points per game, and he is also averaging 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
Noel is recording 10.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals per contest, and his skills could be a perfect complement to Okafor’s in the future. That is if the Sixers actually keep this core together for more than a year. Philadelphia will obviously not be making the playoffs, but they should have a pretty high draft pick once again due to the tanking strategy of GM Sam Hinkie.
“On behalf of the entire Sixers organization, we are proud that Nerlens and Jahlil were recognized for their talent, hard work and commitment to their craft,” Hinkie said in a statement. “This is a recognition both for them and their families, who have sacrificed and supported Nerlens and Jahlil during every step of their basketball journeys.”
The rookies and sophomores were picked by the NBA‘s assistant coaches, and they have to pick four guards, four frontcourt players and two wildcards for the U.S. and World team. Okafor and Noel will play with Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, Zach LaVine, Jabari Parker, Elfrid Payton, D’Angelo Russell, Marcus Smart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. That is a pretty solid squad, but Okafor should get the majority of the touches if they want to win the game.
The Los Angeles Lakers should feel quite foolish for picking Russell No. 2 overall, and they probably regret their decision. He is only averaging 12.2 points, 3.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. Okafor is a generational talent, and his skills won’t become less valuable even in today’s perimeter-oriented NBA. The Sixers should be glad that they picked a franchise player, because one day he’ll be an All-Star.
