From Tall Ball to Small Ball
Nerlens Noel is incredibly athletic for a center. In fact, his game lends itself incredibly well to small ball. Head coach Brett Brown, forced to compensate a roster plagued with injuries, ran a version of small ball in Philadelphia. On a 10-72 team, that small ball lineup was one of the more productive to step foot onto the basketball court last season.
Noel was a key component to that small ball lineup. In fact, his presence was mandated. It was his ability to step up and police the post, earning the casual nickname of “The Nerlen’s Wall” , which allowed Brown to flood the court with Ish Smith, T.J. McConnell, and Isaiah Canaan simultaneously.
On the Golden State Warrior’s roster, Noel stands out once more. With the likes of Curry, Thompson, and Durant running the offense, Noel can focus on that which he excels at: defense. He is more than an adequate replacement for Andrew Bogut on this team, he is a younger and better version, incorporating the attributes of both Bogut and Green in one body. Not only does that give the Warriors opportunity to grow front court talent, it provides the financial margin to do so.
Unless Noel truly lights it up this year, you can expect that his next contract would come in cheaper than that of Draymond Green.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers Injuries Harkens Back to St. Joes Basketball
Ultimately, the NBA trade machine follows its own tracks, and runs at its own pace. However, the Golden State Warriors are a team looking to win now, and the addition of Nerlens Noel at this point in the season would certainly help them do that. Will it happen?
Perhaps not. But something is going on in Philly. Or have we all gotten so attuned to trade rumors that we are seeing that which is not there? We’ll find out soon enough.