Sizing Up the New Orleans Pelicans Competition: Philadelphia 76ers

By Matt Cianfrone | Oct 7, 2015

As we head towards the start of the 2015-16 season, New Orleans Pelicans fans are mostly concerned with the way the Pelicans are adjusting to a new system. While that is the most important question for the Pelicans right now, there are also 29 other teams in the NBA with questions and the answers to some will directly impact the Pelicans. With that in mind we decided to go around the league and do Q&A sessions with a blogger for each team in the league. Today we continue a look around the Atlantic Division by talking with Wes Share who writes for Fansided’s The Friendly Bounce along with Liberty Ballers, SB Nation’s Philadelphia 76ers blog. Considering how often the 76ers and Pelicans have been tied together since the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to New Orleans, there is plenty to talk about, so let’s get right to it.

1. Since the Sixers traded Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans the point guard situation has never felt settled and this year it looks worse than ever. What exactly is the plan there and who do you think gets the most minutes at the spot?

Wes: The plan for the Sixers has always been to accumulate talent, as much of it as possible, and worry about how it fits later. Once the team has an identifiable star player, they’ll inevitably start building a team to compliment him.

As it pertains to this season, they have six point guards going into camp and it sounds like three of them will be sticking around. My guess is we see Kendall Marshall, Tony Wroten and Pierre Jackson manning the back court this season, but your guess is as good as mine and the long-term answer remains a question mark.

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2. Nerlens Noel is similar to Anthony Davis in that his best position is probably power forward due to his frame. Do you think those kind of guys can still anchor a defense with the way the league is moving towards stretch-fours? How far away is Noel from being that anchor of a top 10 D?

Wes: Noel anchored the league’s 12th-best defense last season as measured by defensive rating, so he’s not far off. I think Noel’s situation is a little different than Davis’ though. He’ll be playing some high-low with Okafor this season, but by and large, he’s a very low-usage offensive player (and for good reason). Davis somehow managed to emerge as a gifted, well-rounded death machine on offense as well as defense.

I’m in the “Anthony Davis: Center” boat; I was hoping they’d let someone else pay Omer Asik, drop Davis back to zone up and defend the rim in a more conservative defense and then unleash him in Gentry’s up-tempo system. Noel doesn’t give the Sixers a decision nearly that taxing – he’ll get major time at the four where they utilized him a hard-showing juggernaut guarding pick-and-rolls, and he’ll get reserve minutes at the five defending the rim, too.

Essentially, I think both can anchor a top-tier defense. Their skill sets just need to be utilized in different ways.

3. As a 76ers fan what has it been like to see Jrue Holiday battle these injuries over the last few years? How good do you think a healthy Jrue can be?

Wes: Not as a Sixers fan so much as a Jrue Holiday fan, it’s tough. He’s charismatic, exciting to watch and, as some seem to forget, he’s an incredibly well-rounded basketball player you can trust on both ends of the court. Those don’t grow on trees.

My fingers are crossed for a perpetually healthy Jrue. I’m looking forward to watching him play for a coach that doesn’t employ an offensive system with bottom-feeding pace numbers.

4. Better high top fade, Nerlens Noel or Norris Cole?

Wes: Nerlens. Is this really a thing?

5. What are your expectations for the 76ers this year? What would be a successful season?

Wes: Westgate Vegas posted the team’s over/under for wins at 21.5, and I could realistically see it going either way. They’re undergoing a complete identity shift, from a defensive-minded unit to one plugging in Kendall Marshall at the point of attack and Jahlil Okafor at the last line of defense.

We don’t know much about how Brett Brown would coach a real half-court offense because, well, he hasn’t done so yet. If they thrive on offense (i.e., hovering around league average), I could conceivably see a 28-win team. If they struggle to find their footing offensively (which is probably more plausible)? They could be in the 17, 19-win neighborhood again.

Next: Yesterday We Talked Raptors With Brian Boake of Raptors Rapture

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