Richaun Holmes has shown to the Philadelphia 76ers that rather than Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor, he should be the backup center of the future.
The NBA trade deadline in February is getting closer and closer, and as that happens, the trade talks get heavier and heavier. If you’re a Philadelphia 76ers fan, you’re most likely thinking about who to trade between Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor and who will be the back-up center of the future.
Throughout all of this drama between Okafor and Noel, there has been one center consistently and quietly producing while Okafor or Noel have either been injured, making the team worse on the court, or giving controversial soundbites to the media. This effective producer’s name is Richaun Holmes.
When looking at the contracts, money, roles, fit for the team, and statistics, there is no question Richaun Holmes should be the back-up center of the future on the 76ers. No matter what happens with Noel and Okafor, fans should be able to sleep easy at night knowing Joel Embiid and Holmes are the two centers for this team’s future.
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Why Noel Isn’t a part of the Future:
While Noel is a better fit and player for this team than Okafor right now, he will be a restricted free agent this summer. He will, without a doubt, ask for more money in the summer than Holmes probably ever will, and has already been on record talking to the media about needing more minutes (likely because he wants to prove his worth to the league to get a larger paycheck).
While Noel is great at center, there’s only so much minutes at one position with Embiid on the team and if Noel were to play next to him, he wouldn’t be nearly as effective due to his lack of spacing and being asked to defend further away from the rim.
It is very likely Noel will not be a 76er by October of this year. There is no reason to go through the drama with Noel when the team has Holmes who brings similar things except with more spacing, less need for major minutes, and less need for big money.
Why Okafor Isn’t a part of the Future:
When it comes to Jahlil Okafor, he is also very likely to not be on this team next season. I like Okafor, but he is just not a fit for this team going forward. Big men are generally expected to not only protect the rim, but also help blow up the opponents pick and roll schemes. Jahlil Okafor doesn’t necessarily do either well.
On a team with one of the worst defensive backcourts of all time, Okafor’s weaknesses get exploited constantly which is why at this time, and for this team, a center with the defensive capabilities of a Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, or Richaun Holmes are preferred much more than whatever Okafor could bring to the team.
Not only does he lack the quickness and timing to defend next to Embiid, he also has regressed in the shooting department which lowers the Embiid/Okafor offensive twin tower ceiling.
With the reasons just given, it is clear that both Noel and Okafor have a very bleak future when it comes to staying on this team. Now that that’s out of the way, we can talk about how Holmes is so underrated.
Why Holmes is the Back-Up Center of the Future:
It’s easy to understand why Holmes is so underrated. Not only did he go to a college that casual fans probably have never heard of (Bowling Green State), but he was also a second-round draft pick as a college senior. Before he even went to Bowling Green, he spent his freshman season at Moraine Valley Community College, a far cry from powerhouses like Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas (the schools Noel, Embiid, & Okafor went to as freshman).
While Holmes was under the radar grinding through four years of college, the other bigs on the team were being projected number one overall picks as freshman and being picked top six in the draft overall.
While people had to dig for Holmes game tape, it was easy to find Embiid, Noel, and Okafor’s highlights on TV of them flying through the air with highlight blocks, dunks, and showing off swift post moves. Throughout all of that, Holmes has exceeded expectations.
Through 21 games this year, Holmes has averaged 15.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 1.4 steals per 36 minutes. To go along with that he has a Player Efficiency Rating of 17.4, .120 win shares per 48 minutes, and a box plus minus score of 0.9.
On the 76ers, of guys who’ve played more than 100 minutes on the team this season, Holmes ranks second in Player Efficiency Rating, first in win shares per 40 minutes, and second in box plus minus. He also has the fourth best value over replacement player score on the team. These statistics should show you how valuable Holmes is to this team on a per-minute basis, yet few recognize it.
With his humble beginnings, hardworking attitude, and his team-friendly mindset, it seems as if Holmes is just fine being a back-up player as long as the team is winning. I can’t imagine him asking for a max deal or starter’s minutes anytime soon. Holmes is only in his second season and hasn’t even played in 82 games yet. He’s a guy who just wants to help in any way possible no matter what he has to sacrifice individually.
He can protect the rim at center and he can slide his feet to switch onto any player that needs to be guarded (situationally) without looking totally helpless. He also doesn’t need post touches, while he could, in theory, provide some spacing for Embiid if they were needed to be on the floor at the same time. He scores in the flow of the offense and is great at putbacks, diving to the rim, pick setting, lane filling in transition, catching lobs, etc.
Championships are not just won with superstars. A championship team also needs effective, reliable, and selfless bench players to either hang on to the lead or try to bring the team back while the stars rest. A championship team needs bench players who don’t care about the individual glory, the money, the minutes, or anything like that. A great team has players that don’t just fit on the court, but off of it as well. Without these underrated and unsung glue guy heroes off the bench, a team would crumble when the pressure is on. It looks like we have found one of these guys already, and his name is Richaun Holmes.
