Brett Brown: Jahlil Okafor ‘not in the Rotation'

CAMDEN, N.J. - It's almost Halloween, and like a ghost, Jahlil Okafor has been invisible through the Sixers' first five games.

And don't expect that to change anytime soon.

After practice Friday, head coach Brett Brown admitted that the former No. 3 pick is "not in the rotation."

"I'm playing Amir (Johnson) ahead of him and that's just the situation," Brown said. "[Okafor] doesn't let people know. He comes in and his head's good and his spirit's good. And he and I talk all the time, but that is the bottom line. He is not in the rotation."

Okafor - who was not made available to the media Friday - has appeared in just one game this season, the second game of a back-to-back when Joel Embiid was unavailable. Okafor played 22 minutes, contributing 10 points on 4 for 7 shooting, nine rebounds and two blocks - an encouraging sign - in the Sixers' lopsided loss to the Raptors. 

Not bad. So what's the deal?

Right now - and for well into the foreseeable future - Johnson is the go-to guy when Embiid is on the bench. 

"I think it's going to be Amir's spot to lose," Brown said. "If I see that there's a decline in performance, then it's going to be his spot right now to lose. It's always competitive, but the competitive nature has shifted toward Amir's performance." 

The Sixers have to make a decision by Oct. 31 whether or not to pick up Okafor's fourth-year option of $6.3 million for next season. According to ESPN's Chris Haynes, the Sixers are still trying to trade Okafor and their decision with his option is based on how those talks develop. 

Johnson hasn't exactly been lights-out when filling in for Embiid. Johnson, who signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Sixers in July, has appeared in all five games but is averaging just 3.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on 30 percent from the field. 

With Johnson struggling and trade-bait Okafor toiling away on the bench, why not give the newly slimmed down Okafor a look? He can't be much worse than Johnson, and if the Sixers are willing to trade Okafor - as they have made very apparent in the past - they'll need to showcase him to garner any interest in the third-year pro. 

But that doesn't seem to be in the cards for Brown and Co. In fact, Dario Saric seems to even be ahead of Okafor right now (see mailbag). The Sixers have used Saric sparingly at times this season in the five-spot when Embiid or Johnson get into foul trouble. With Ben Simmons a giant at point guard, it's like a twisted version of small ball. 

Saric has struggled with the adjustment, and he failed to score for the first time in his career in Wednesday's loss to the Rockets. Saric seemed outmatched physically and was a liability on defense, as James Harden drove to the basket with ease. Brown took the blame for that one but seems committed to giving Saric a try down low. 

"Like the other night (vs. Houston) was such an outlier, where there was so much switching," Brown said. ... "At times that doesn't favor him with some of those guys, (Eric) Gordon and Harden, driving Dario Saric is not, really at times, wise for me to put him in that position.

"I think at times (Dario)'s also trying to juggle the four-spot and the intellect now of the five, when we get in foul trouble and other circumstances. I like playing him at some five because he can pull people out. The knowledge base of what that means from a structural standpoint and a play-call standpoint, it's a different position and sometimes I think that that weighs on his mind too much, where he's not playing as free."

Johnson and Saric don't seem like a reliable duo to back up Embiid - especially with the limited minutes and games Embiid typically plays. But help is on the way.

Richuan Holmes, dealing with a fractured wrist, is inching back and has been cleared to practice on a limited basis. He will be reevaluated next Thursday.

"I think we're gonna have another conversation soon, here comes Richaun - and here we go again," Brown said. "And that's a good thing. It's pro sports and it's my job to figure it out."

With all of the uncertainty surrounding the Sixers' big men, one thing is clear: So long as Embiid is playing (fingers crossed), we won't be seeing Okafor anytime soon as Brown looks to solidify his rotation as the season gets underway.

"But all coaches seek a level of consistency with rotation, you don't want to get into a juggling act," Brown said. "You want to get into some type of symmetry with who you're playing and how you're playing them, and have some type of semblance of order in what they can expect from a rotation standpoint."