NBA Rumors: More To Nerlens Noel Scratch?

Confusion to Nerlens Noel scratch for game two of preseason opens window to NBA Rumors: Is there more to the Nerlens Noel Scratch?

It was the second preseason game, and it was at home against the Washington Wizards.  While preseason games come and go, this was a very special game.  You see, it marked the first time that red-shirted rookies Dario Saric and Joel Embiid would play in front of their home crowd.

It was a game of significance.  As such, it was a game that no player should want to miss. In fact, the game was so competitive that Richaun Holmes refused to sit after twisting his ankle on the tip-off of double overtime.

But for the much discussed crowded center position, that logjam has yet to occur. In the game one victory over the Boston Celtics, Nerlens Noel turned 17 minutes of play into six points, three rebounds, and a steal. While not a career high, it was a first game with the new lineup. Game two would be the perfect stage to display his top performance, or would it?

Injured or Not Injured?

First, the team released the injury report showing that Jahlil Okafor was sitting this one out again:

No injury to Nerlens Noel was listed. But then this:

But is there more to the story?

There is no easy answer to this one.  With emotions and rumors flying all over the place, this will only serve to fan the flames.  Has Nerlens Noel checked out mentally? Is there a trade in the works, one that is imminent? Is this a form of protest by the Noel to force the team to do something here and now?

No Room At The Inn

Nerlens Noel is a special player. Despite his role as an NBA Center, his athleticism betrays his role. You simply cannot emphasize his dominance defensively. As Dan Falcone wrote in May 2016, Noel is one of a few elite players in the NBA who can generate 100 steals assists and blocks in one season.  The truly great thing about Nerlens Noel?  He’s done it each of his two years in the NBA.

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Combine that with a player who shoots 49 percent from the floor, and averages 8.1 rebounds per game, and you can see why he deserves a starting role on an NBA team.

But to make room on the Philadelphia 76ers roster, who do you sit?  Can you sit center Joel Embiid, whose 7-foot-2 stature towers over the competition and promises unmatchable production from the five spot?  Can you sit Jahlil Okafor, whose offense in 2015-2016 was almost entirely self generated, and whose upside could hit 30 points per game in this roster this season?

To earn minutes on this team, you must optimize the playing minutes you get. The easiest way to do that is to come out and drop 30 points in one evening.

But that is not Nerlens Noel’s game, nor will it ever be.  His is the subtle game that is often missed by the camera.  His is the timely steal, the assist, the blocked shot.  He keeps the game close to allow other players to showcase their scoring heroics.

And perhaps, like Atlas who shouldered the weight of the world upon his shoulders, he has fatigued at the burden.

Conspiracy Theory

Nerlens Noel, two year NBA veteran who is in his last contract year with the Philadelphia 76ers, sees this landscape.  It was this scenario that Nerlens Noel faces as he tries to play his way into a lucrative second NBA contract worth millions of dollars. But between him and his ultimate payday stands this season, buried in a depth chart, and that has led to frustration:

"“I don’t think it makes too much sense to come into the season with such a heavy lineup at the center position,” said Noel, a fourth-year pro. “‘I don’t see a way of it working. It’s just a logjam.”"

And in that moment, his thoughts escaped to the universe of the internet. But those thoughts are ever present.  Has it impacted him, derailed his competitive nature?

Per Tom Moore in todays article at the Bucks County Courier Times, that may indeed be the case:

"“Nerlens Noel notified us this afternoon following shootaround of a left groin strain,” a team spokesman said prior to Brett Brown’s pregame media availability. “He is out this evening.”"

While a groin pull can be a very debilitating injury, the fact that the player volunteered it prior to the home opener is somewhat… curious.  Particularly in light of the fact that he was in line for significant minutes in the contest against the Washington Wizards.  Missed opportunity, or subtle statement?

All Business

While there is some curiosity about the way Noel’s injury was brought to light, head coach Brett Brown has dismissed any distraction with Noel in the past. In a September 29, 2016 article by Keith Pompey of Philly.com, Brown defended his veteran center.

"“He handled [things] with me and in the training-camp session today like a pro,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “He came to mean it. He didn’t back down at all. There was no moping or sulking or him being stubborn. He played. I see early days’ daylight, a bright white light for Nerlens Noel. He’s the only one right now that has no restrictions. And so, you know, opportunity creates different things.””"

But opportunity, like potential, is only positive when it is claimed and taken in a positive direction. Whatever is going on right now with these Philadelphia 76ers at center, it’s confusing.

If it were all business, surely Nerlens Noel had plenty of incentive to play against the Washington Wizards.   In 2015-2016, he faced the Wizards four times.  In those games he averaged 10.8 points per game, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.25 blocks and 3 steals on 31 minutes per game.

More Waiting In The Wings

While competing with Embiid and Okafor is plenty to deal with, his absence allowed Richaun Holmes to play center for the 76ers. And play he did

If the objective was to make things uncomfortable for the Philadelphia 76ers, the plan backfired. Certainly the name of Richaun Holmes has been added to the list of young players deserving some quality minutes through the season.  In fact, the rapid ascension of Holmes may force the hand of the Philadelphia 76ers to make a less than satisfactory trade now in order to allow sufficient minutes for Holmes to grow.

While Holmes makes the most of his minutes and opportunity, the preseason has yet to hear from Jahlil Okafor, and needs a great deal more from Nerlens Noel, before the defense can rest.

But is there a white knight waiting in the wings?  What about the trade rumors which are a constant droning now regarding either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor?

Trade Rumors

Trade Rumors are the current culture of these Philadelphia 76ers. Similar to living near a paper mill, you may have found the initial experience repugnant, by now you know to simply let the whispers and narratives fall into the bucket of “remote possibilities”.

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But the recent turn of events has us wondering if Noel has caught wind of a possible trade scenario, and is saving himself to impress his new team?  If so, then who?

Well the story begins with a July 21, 2016 interview with Bryan Colangelo by SiriusXM NBA Radio, where he admitted:

"“I think right now it’s best to say we like all of them, we want to see if we can make the most out of each of them in terms to their contributions to this team. But at the end of the day, the reality says one has to go at some point, but only when the deal is right.” – Bryan Colangelo"

That interview has launched a myriad of trade scenarios: some sourced, some imagined.

In the latest trade scenario, as reported by NBA’s INQUISITR, the latest team to jump into talks over the possibility of getting Nerlens Noel is none other than the Golden State Warriors. In this version of the latest and greatest, the Warriors seek Nerlens Noel and in exchange, offer up point guard Shaun Livingston with either power forward Draymond Green or small forward Andre Iguodala.

A Deal Both Can Live With

While the Warriors fans would balk at including Green in this exchange, and the 76ers will certainly balk at the Livingston/Iguodala deal, there is reason on paper to believe discussions could result in a win-win.  The Warriors have Kevin Durant at small forward now, but that offense only has one basketball.  With a back court of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson churning over 50 points per game, the team runs a risk of overloading willing shooters and ignoring the defensive side of the board.

Sir Charles In Charge

Draymond Green is young and a veteran of a winning program in the front court.  His arrival to the 76ers immediately develops the front court.  In fact, his game mirrors that of Nerlens Noel from the power forward position: generating 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game in postseason. While the Philadelphia 76ers had hoped to keep the payroll clean to retain their own players, Green’s only detriment to the 76ers is that contract amount and length. Per Basketball-reference.com, he is due to earn $15.3M this season, $16.4M next year, $17.4M in 2018-2019, and $18.5M in 2019-2020.

Why would Golden State trade a young talent?

Financially, the Golden State Warriors are saturated.  Their ability to bring on more talent is limited.  And in the vacuum created by the attrition of center Andrew Bogut, the team has brought in veterans ZaZa Pachulia and JaVale McGee.  But neither “fit” the small ball roster of the Warriors.

But Nerlens Noel does.

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.