The Sixer Sense
Fansided

To Nerlens Noel Two Is Company, Three Is A Logjam

By Bret Stuter

Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Brown Innovator, Noel Naysayer

While not the intent, Brown believes he needs to place his best five on the court.  Originally, that did not include a tall ball lineup.  But times change, and team needs outweighs conventional logic.

Of the group, Nerlens Noel is the least discussed.  He is not extended.  He is not happy.  He is not even playing now, having injured his groin after the first preseason game.  While I have no doubt that Nerlens Noel can be a significant starting center for an NBA team, I see his window of opportunity closing with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Its no longer that he cannot get significant playing time.  Right now it feels like his heart is no longer in it.  In Philadelphia, regardless of the professional sport, discontented players land on another team.  That is simply how it rolls in Philly.

Next: Fantasy Basketball Outlook: Philadelphia 76ers Centers

And so, Nerlens Noel named the nemesis of the Philadelphia 76ers, and in doing so, may be the victim of the fix to that situation.  Bryan Colangelo had a history of working with a big man who he felt had lost the desire to play for the Toronto Raptors in Chris Bosh.  Nerlens Noel would benefit more by studying NBA history, than complaining about the future.