Since the All-Star break, Nerlens Noel has been the story for the Philadelphia 76ers, racking up historic numbers and making a late, but legitimate, case for Rookie of the Year honors. And soon he’ll be joined in the frontcourt by Joel Embiid, the 7’1” center from Cameroon that Sixers fans hope will turn around the fortunes of their franchise.

When Embiid was selected by Philadelphia with the third-overall pick in last year’s draft, some wondered how he would fit with Noel, who was selected sixth-overall in 2013 to man the center position for the Sixers. As the NBA has evolved to facilitate faster and more perimeter-oriented play over the past decade, big men have become noticeably less, well, big, with fives expected to deftly defend pick-and-rolls and be able to hold their own when they inevitably find themselves switched and isolated with guards. In this new NBA, power forwards have become more similar to the small forwards of earlier generations and are expected to be able to step out to the three-point line and space the floor.

But in Embiid and Noel, the Sixers are forging a different path. The seven-foot duo will do the vast majority their damage around the basket, where both have proven to be excellent rim protectors and where the majority of their offense has come from to this point in their careers.

Embiid, who turned 21 on Monday, only began playing basketball six years ago, as a 15-year-old in his native Cameroon. While still undeniably raw, the natural touch, footwork, and body control that he displayed as a freshman at Kansas last season led some analysts to compare his budding post game to that of a young Hakeem Olajuwon, the Hall of Fame center who also began his career late, at the age of 15. And Noel, who turns 21 on April 10, is one of the most promising young post defenders in the NBA, ranking top-10 in the league in defensive win shares (ninth, 3.5), defensive rating (seventh, 98.9 opp. points per 100 possession), rim protection (fifth, 45.4 opp. FG% at the basket), and defensive box plus-minus (second, -4.7 points per 100 possessions versus league-average player). As a freshman at Kansas, Embiid led the Big 12 in defensive rating (90.9) and blocked 4.5 shots per 40 minutes.

"I feel when I talk to Nerlens, and when I do it with Joel in the room, I can see an excitement with those two talking about how they are going to coexist and play together,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown told reporters last week.

While some have questioned whether or not two traditional centers can cohabitate a starting frontcourt in today’s NBA, the Sixers see the unusual pairing as an advantage, not a burden.

Brown says, too, that when the two are on the floor together he may look to Embiid as the team’s rim protector defensively and as its power forward offensively. Noel would then be freed up to use his foot speed and weakside playmaking ability on defense and take advantage of open looks off of dives and putbacks on the offensive end.

“I don’t see Joel guarding people on the perimeter. I think Nerlens’ athleticism, where he can switch out on point guards, he can guard 4-men, I just think there’s a versatility and athleticism that we’re going to really enjoy watching and tapping into,” Brown said. “On offense, [Embiid playing power forward] is going to be a possibility.”

In the days following the 2014 Draft, Brown said he was reminded, in terms of style, of the all-world tandem of David Robinson and Tim Duncan he enjoyed during his early years as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. And General Manager Sam Hinkie could hardly contain his excitement about the potential pairing.

“If they do play together, which is what we anticipate, we will be a menace at the rim, an absolute menace,” Hinkie said last summer. “If you’re going to bring violence to the other team, that’s the place to do it.”

It doesn’t hurt that Joel Embiid’s rapid offensive development has taken him all the way out to the NBA three-point line, where he hits shots during pregame warmups with remarkable consistency for a seven-footer. His midrange game has also improved drastically during what has been a redshirt rookie campaign to this point due to stress fracture in his right foot.

And with 48 minutes per game to dole out at the center position, Coach Brown knows that Embiid’s presence won’t mean that Noel won’t still be asked to anchor the Sixers’ defense at times.

“Say Joel plays 32 or 34 minutes, and that’s a big number for a rookie, that still leaves 16 minutes that somebody’s going to have to come in and play. And I think Nerlens can split the difference,” he said. “I don’t think he’ll be yanked from this situation all the time. There are still minutes to be played there.”

Film Room

When veteran swingman Jason Richardson was asked about Embiid during a recent interview, he provided a unique perspective. From 2010 to 2012, the sharpshooter played alongside perennial All-Star big man Dwight Howard, and in the 21-year-old Embiid he see’s many of the same qualities as the now-Rocket center, most notably his ability to draw double teams.

But Embiid’s potential as a player who can force extra defensive attention won’t just benefit shooters on the perimeter, it will also help him and Nerlens Noel have a complimentary relationship on the offensive end.

In the play below, from Kansas’ late-November meeting with Villanova last season, Joel Embiid posts up just outside the paint on the left side of the court. He leans back to create a bit of space and then quickly spins right to drive baseline. As he does this, the weakside defender steps towards Embiid to prevent the easy basket, leaving Embiid’s teammate, Perry Ellis, all by himself near the right baseline. Ellis smartly dives to the rim and makes an easy target for Embiid, who finds him for the easy lay-in.

And it can work the other way, too. While Nerlens Noel’s post game isn’t as refined or as effective as that of Joel Embiid, his face-up ability has proven to be a dangerous weapon as a rookie thanks to his above-average ballhandling ability and lightning quick first step.

In the play below, we see Perry Ellis take his man left off the dribble, forcing a defender over to help. This leaves Joel Embiid alone right in front of the rim and in perfect position for Ellis to dump the ball off. This would be an easy bucket for any big man, but especially for Embiid, who converted over 70% of his attempts around the rim while at Kansas.

It’s important to note that both Embiid and Noel are above-average passers for their positions, and both averaged 2.0+ assists per 40 minutes as college freshmen. Noel is averaging 1.7 per game in the pros and is just the ninth rookie center in 20 years to do that.

Looking around the league, the team that benefits most from having two big men who can pass the ball is undoubtedly the Chicago Bulls, whose dynamic frontcourt tandem of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol is one of the best in the league on both ends of the floor. Here’s a look at the types of easy looks created by the Bulls’ ability to distribute the ball out of both the high and low post.

While it is uncertain whether or not Joel Embiid will suit up with the Sixers this season, a future with him and Nerlens Noel patrolling the rim on one end and working off of one another on the other is one that should have Sixers fans excited for what lies ahead. Add to that the development of players like Jerami Grant and Robert Covington and an upcoming draft that could see Philadelphia make four first-round selections, and it’s hard not to be excited for what lies ahead for the Sixers.