The Sixer Sense
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Nerlens Noel is Back With Team in Philadelphia

By Josh Wilson

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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After working out in Alabama, Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel is back with the Philadelphia 76ers, and met with coach Brett Brown.

After some time off to start the season for Nerlens Noel and the Philadelphia 76ers, Noel is back in Philly, and back to working out under the team’s supervision. The path that it took the Sixers and Noel to get to this point has been an interesting, conspiracy-filled one.

As far as what the team is telling us — Noel sustained an injury before the season began, and elected to have surgery done on the knee injury. He’s now back with the team. That’s the bare bones of the situation.

With some context, however, this situation becomes a bit more drama-filled. The Sixers currently have lots of big men — Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and Joel Embiid are all currently on the 15-man roster and are former lottery picks. They also have Richaun Holmes.

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Noel showed up to media day after Keith Pompey published quotes from Noel that exclaimed that the Sixers’ current big man situation would not be able to work. Clearly upset with the cluster he had been put in, he was the only player at Sixers’ media day that did not have a shirt with a Sixers logo on it.

There seemed to be friction between him and the team.

Also, it seemed odd that Noel elected to have surgery done for such a minor injury. It was also intriguing that he elected to rehab in Alabama, where he rehabbed while he was in college, rather than with the Sixers’ respectable sports medicine people. Perhaps it was to get himself away from the team.

Now, however, Noel is back with the team. There were reports from fans on Reddit that he showed up at a Philly Wawa, and Keith Pompey also reported that Noel met with Brown to discuss his future with the team.

Even Brown admitted that he’s not quite sure what to do with all of the big men just yet.

“I’m not able right now to lay out the perfect road map to everybody,” Brown said.

"“It was a great conversation. It was good to see him as we always do with our players and me with Nerlens. I’ve been with him a long time. It’s very clear and candid what his role and what’s going to happen. How are we going to try to make it work.”"

Next: Embiid Doesn't Even Know How He's Doing It

The future of the Sixers is solid in some areas, and a bit gray in others. The cluster of big men in the front court is one of the gray areas. Whether or not Noel has a future with the team is unknown, but it looks like if he will play with the Sixers this year, it will come soon enough.