Philadelphia 76ers Nerlens Noel Must Earn Top NBA Center Contract

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Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) dunks during the fourth quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /

Noel’s Career Benefits By Foundation Laid Today

Free Agency is the epitome of free market mechanics. Sometimes it’s not always about what you do on the basketball court, but what you do off the court.

Can you contribute in a supporting role? Do you lend your expertise to younger teammates? Do you contribute positively to the community? Do you know when to lead and when to follow?

It’s a true test of 24 hours 7 days a week marketing. Right now, Nerlens Noel has some major image damage to repair. All of the goodwill he banked by cross-training as power forward in anticipation of playing alongside Joel Embiid is now a debt.

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Let me be clear in my respect and admiration for this young man. He came to the Philadelphia 76ers, played lights out as a rookie, demonstrated incredible maturity and resilience by working towards a power forward role last season. I get it that he has reached saturation.

But the NBA compensates rather handsomely for all of those factors, plus some. It’s not a money matter at all, and that must click for Noel today, here and now, if he is to truly earn his place in the NBA annals.

There is a natural ebb and flow cycle. The ebb gives time to train, to prepare, to focus. The flow provides the spotlight, the big contract, the prestige and fame. Without proper ebb, the flow vanishes rapidly.

Now is the time for Nerlens Noel to focus inwards, to prepare, to train, to focus. Whether or not he buys in on the basketball analytics approach used by the Philadelphia 76ers, he must exhaust all of it’s benefits.

I will never be as talented as Nerlens Noel on a basketball court, and I will likely never have an annual earnings in his income bracket.

But I recognize this fork in the road for the young basketball center. The true test of a man’s integrity is what he chooses to do at his peak, and at his worst. Nerlens Noel faces a challenging path with the Philadelphia 76ers this season.

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It may pulverize his career like a lump of coal smashed by the blow of a sledge hammer. Or it might harden his resolve, and he may emerge as a diamond. The NBA is neutral. Only the strong-hearted can forge their careers among the competition. Nerlens Noel can look forward to his big payday, but he must earn a top NBA center’s contract.