The Sixer Sense
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Don’t take Nerlens Noel’s TMZ quote too seriously

By Christopher Kline

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 29: Nerlens Noel #3 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 29: Nerlens Noel #3 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Former Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel said he didn’t miss Philly, but that shouldn’t necessarily be taken at face value.

With the NBA offseason dying down, controversy is the best path towards relevancy — and that’s precisely the path this Nerlens Noel story took.

While the walking the street in downtown L.A. late last night, where he was apparently partying until 2 a.m., Noel was asked by a TMZ reporter whether or not he missed Philadelphia, to which he replied with a blunt, one-worded answer: “Nah.”

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

There’s not much to unpack here, but for the sake of downing this unreasonable controversy, we’ll dive into the specifics.

Noel is, first and foremost, out late here. He’s likely not putting the most thought into his responses, nor does he necessarily care what a random dude with a cell phone camera asks him as he’s walking to his car.

He also said this in the midst of longstanding contract discussions with the Dallas Mavericks — the team Philadelphia traded him to. Rather than getting the max extension he was expecting, Noel still has no deal on the table. There’s a good chance that this question was perceived in a slightly different light than intended.

He’s also wearing a Phillies hat, while in L.A. and in negotiations with a team in Dallas. That’s a pretty forthright connection to the city, and Noel has said plenty of times in the past that he still loves Philly — which culminated with him buying cheesesteaks for a whole bunch of Philadelphia 76ers fans.

Building a false narrative of animosity between the two sides is overselling this whole issue.

Noel also went on to praise Ben Simmons and his potential, while also responding with “that’s just how it goes” when asked about riding the bench behind Joel Embiid last season. Kind words for the team’s cornerstone and a fairly bland response to what could be a heated question doesn’t play into that narrative either.

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There are simply too many variables at play to watch that video and have any sort of anger over Noel’s response. If he says he misses Philadelphia, that could just as easily be misconstrued as ‘shade’ thrown in the Mavs’ direction. He was put in a tough spot with little time to think by somebody whose validity was likely in question.

This shouldn’t be a story.

Noel will now look to salvage what semblance of an extension he’s able to receive this offseason, and could very well look to simply take his qualifying offer and play for a bigger contract next offseason.

In a league that’s moving away from centers, Noel has hit the market in an awkward position at the worst possible time. He has the defensive tools to excel in modern defensive schemes, yet he’s still being pushed to the periphery of what was considered a weak free agency market to begin with.

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Noel left Philly in good spirits, and has said all the right things before this. Considering a blunt response to an unimportant question after hours of partying in L.A. something important is a vast overstatement. Don’t fall into that trap, folks.