Here's The F-ing Difference

The Sixers have won four of the last five games. In three of those wins, Okafor didn’t play. Or to put it another way:

The sample sizes still aren’t comparable, but now that Noel has amassed 150+ minutes on the year, we can take some of his numbers seriously. In just over a quarter of the minutes Okafor has played, Noel is besting him in nearly every category. Noel has a better FG% and FT%, and averages more rebounds, steals, and points per-36 minutes, while averaging fewer turnovers. Noel leads the team in true shooting % (which takes threes and free throws into account) and offensive rebound rate. He again bests Okafor in total rebound %, box plus-minus, and VORP, which I don’t expect you to understand but it sounds fancy and so I used it. Both Noel and Okafor have 0.8 win shares – which is a cumulative statistic. In his time on the floor, Noel touts the teams best offensive and defensive rating. That’s what happens when someone plays within the flow of the team.

I’m not sure what any of this means for the Sixers. One or both of these guys needs to be traded. It started with Okafor getting minutes and Noel sitting. Now, Noel is getting minutes while Okafor racks up DNP-CDs.

Whether they’re “showcasing” a player for a trade or not, they can’t just keep alternating who sits and who plays. The trade deadline is in 42 days.