The Sixer Sense
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Can Joel Embiid Resolve Nerlens Noel Drama?

By Bret Stuter

Mar 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel (left) and center Joel Embiid (right) share a laugh during warm ups before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel (left) and center Joel Embiid (right) share a laugh during warm ups before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Talk About..

Bryan Colangelo talked at length about the front court stacking of centers, and per his repeated message to the media, intended to enter the 2016-2017 season with that pared down.  He assured the public that three centers was too many.

And then he failed to act.  But to make matters worse, he failed to talk the matter over with his three centers.   In the end, he told the media, the public, and the entire world that the Philadelphia 76ers had a problem and needed to fix it.  Then failed to fix it.

Don’t set the stage without a script

He did set the stage for interest in either NBA center: Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel. However, the team did not commit to either, fueling rampant speculation.  Meanwhile, the incessant narrative indicating the Philadelphia 76ers desperation to unload one of three NBA centers encouraged NBA teams in need of center help to lowball the 76ers.

Even the scenario of awaiting the trade deadline in 2017 could have been spun as a win if the team had heard that as the plan from Colangelo. In the real world, play restrictions on both Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid allowed the team plenty of room to operate in regards to witnessing play from each individually and as combined. If the team committed to trade a center, the first window would be on or at the trade deadline – after witnessing the play of each center up to that point in time.

After all, no center was perfect healthwise.