6. Nerlens Noel
By: Sam Coltrane
76ers stats:
| Season | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 20 | PHI | C | 75 | 71 | 30.8 | .462 | .462 | .462 | .609 | 8.1 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 9.9 | |
| 2015-16 | 21 | PHI | C | 67 | 62 | 29.3 | .521 | .500 | .521 | .522 | .590 | 8.1 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 11.1 |
| 2016-17 | 22 | PHI | C | 29 | 7 | 19.4 | .611 | .000 | .615 | .611 | .683 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 8.9 |
| 3 seasons | PHI | 171 | 140 | 28.3 | .505 | .333 | .506 | .506 | .610 | 7.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 10.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/5/2019.
The first true piece of “The Process”.
Nerlens Noel was widely considered the consensus top talent entering the 2013 NBA Draft, but an injury in his sole year in college led to his draft day fall. When he fell past the top-5 picks, Sam Hinkie began “The Process”.
A draft night trade that would see Jrue Holiday and the 42nd overall pick head to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the rights to Noel and a top-5 protected 2014 first rounder. That pick eventually became Dario Saric, (through another trade).
Noel sat out the entirety of his first year with Philadelphia. When he finally did play, Noel looked talented, but raw. Scouts were fairly accurate in his evaluation. He was supremely gifted physically, but lacked the overall skill needed to contribute immediately in the NBA.
The following years saw Philadelphia select the best player available regardless of fit. Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor combined to create a need for Noel to operate at the power forward position and to spread the floor or risk not seeing it.
Unfortunately, Noel never expanded his offensive repertoire to complement the other components on the roster. His defense, while having impressive counting numbers, also left something to be desired. He was often out of place, taking unnecessary risks and not providing enough impact to counterbalance his awkward fit on the other end.
Noel was eventually traded for a heavily-protected first rounder that conveyed to two second round picks from the Dallas Mavericks along with Justin Anderson.
On this specific roster, Noel would be a welcomed addition to provide his bolstered defensive abilities and rim-running offensive game as he would be properly utilized in lesser minutes behind Embiid.
Noel’s game hasn’t expanded too far beyond his known floor coming into the league, but he has proven to be more accepting of his new role and playing defense within the Oklahoma City Thunder’s system.
Philadelphia fans might not always view Noel favorably, but they ought to remember that he was the prize that launched “the Process”. In that regard, he will always hold a place in Philadelphia sports history.