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Sixers consider slowing down tempo

    by Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer
    Published 

OKLAHOMA CITY - Brett Brown is considering scrapping his "pace-and-space" offense to accommodate his best offensive weapon, center Jahlil Okafor.

The 6-foot-11 rookie thrives as a below-the-rim, in-the-paint presence, not on fast breaks.

"I have to coach a program based on what I'm given," Brown said Friday. "You hear me beating my chest all the time about pace, and it's true. I'm not back-peddling. But there's a realization where you have to use what you have."

Okafor leads all rookies at 20.6 points per game, which ranked 17th overall in the NBA before Friday's games. The Sixers also have 6-11 power forward Nerlens Noel (12.2 points) and are expected to add 7-foot center Joel Embiid to the mix next season. Embiid, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, has yet to play after two foot operations.

"We could all talk next year and say, you know what, we are just a really big team," Brown said. "And we need to walk it up and pound it inside and sprinkle shooters around and play in the 80s [points-per-game range]. It doesn't sound good coming off my tongue. But you are always coaching to what you have, so that's the challenge."

Follow and contact Inquirer 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers and on Instagram  at PompeyOnSixers