Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel are Sixers' biggest attractions

GALLOWAY, N.J. - One needed to totally revamp his shot, eliminating the tendency to bring the ball across his body to get off a shot. The other has great form on his shot, but for some reason has trouble making foul shots.

Sixers coach Brett Brown would like to see one not necessarily lose weight, but certainly get himself into better playing shape, while the other is constantly encouraged to bulk up, whether through weights or food.

Their games really couldn't be more opposite, with rookie Jahlil Okafor owning the bruising, 275-pound body that combines power with finesse and NBA-ready skill moves around the basket and Nerlens Noel possessing that crazy athleticism that leads to eye-popping dunks and rejections.

Brown hopes that opposites attract good basketball play as the two will get on the court together for the first time today when the Sixers open training camp at Stockton University. While the biggest questions surround the point-guard position, the most anticipation surrounds the two big men.

Brown said last week he had studied two big men playing together, from back to when he was with San Antonio and David Robinson and Tim Duncan shared a floor to Memphis' current tandem of Marc Gasol and Zack Randolph. Brown plans for Okafor to play center, with Noel at power forward.

"I think it will work fine," Okafor, drafted third overall out of Duke, said yesterday as the team met members of the media at Stockton Seaview Hotel. "I'll let coach Brown and all the other coaches figure it out. I'm excited about it. I was able to watch Nerlens last year and (saw) how much he improved. I think we'll make each other better on the floor. The way he plays defense is going to help me out a lot, and I can learn a lot from him. On the offensive end, I demand a lot of attention, and I think that will help him out a lot."

Noel walked into the small room to meet with the media with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. Gone are the questions about his surgically repaired left knee or whether his rail-thin frame (which he says is 222 pounds now) can handle the rigors of the NBA. After missing only seven games last season, he has shown he is durable. Now the questions surround his actual play, particularly with his low-post cohort.

"It was a great summer, and I think I'm shooting more effectively," Noel said. "My form has taken another step forward, with cleaning everything up from the fundamentals. It's all coming about.

"I'll always stay true to the things that I do immediately well. I've obviously expanded my game, and Jahlil is going to be a big presence on the block. I think I'll naturally be able to slip into the 'four' position and be able to knock down that 15-footer with consistency and use all my abilities on the defensive end to be able to guard the 'four' man. They shoot the ball from three, and me being able to close out on them and still be able to stick around the basket and block shots will be a big thing.

"I'm excited. Jahlil is a great kid, from the first time that I met him. He just has a good spirit. Just off that, you think there can be a lot of chemistry there, just the way he plays the game. He's very unselfish, and he'll pass the ball to any open player. I think that will help this team go."

Of course, there still is a big question about who will play point guard. There are six lead guards in camp, and Brown said last week he probably will keep three. Tony Wroten, coming off his second ACL surgery to his right knee, is one of the leading candidates. Wroten acknowledged yesterday his knee hasn't felt right since the first surgery in high school. He can't wait, or imagine what it would be like, to play pain-free.

"Dr. (James) Andrews couldn't believe I was playing on my knee the way it was," said Wroten, who lost 20 pounds after the surgery because of anxiety and a lack of appetite. "To just have the chance to be myself on the court is so exciting. I want to show everyone the beast I can be."

Both Wroten and Kendall Marshall, also coming off right ACL surgery, said they aren't putting a timetable on when they'll be back. Marshall said he has been cleared for full-go, but won't rush anything. They, along with Isaiah Canaan, could be the favorites to start.

Whoever it is will have a couple of intriguing targets down low in Okafor and Noel.

Many players said the goal for the season is to reach the playoffs . . . The team will practice through Saturday at Stockton . . . Nik Stauskas, coming off a nice showing with Team Canada this summer in the FIBA Americas championship, says he has much more confidence than he did entering his rookie season with Sacramento . . . Forward Richaun Holmes, who shattered an elbow in the Utah Summer League, has been back playing since about the beginning of the month . . . The team's first preseason game will be Oct. 6 in Washington. The first home preseason game is Oct. 8 against Cleveland.

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