Sixers' Nerlens Noel determined to improve on his shooting
DENVER - The 76ers did not acquire Nerlens Noel during the 2013 NBA draft for his shooting. They wanted an athletic center to protect the rim. They needed rebounding. And they desperately wanted someone on the receiving end of lobs in the up-tempo style of play the team wanted to implement.
DENVER - The 76ers did not acquire Nerlens Noel during the 2013 NBA draft for his shooting.
They wanted an athletic center to protect the rim. They needed rebounding. And they desperately wanted someone on the receiving end of lobs in the up-tempo style of play the team wanted to implement.
Still, as long as Noel was going to be taking some mid-range shots, he sure would like them to hit their mark.
"I know where I am at, and I know where I have to get to," Noel said. "I know I will get there, and I know I will have the drive to continue to work through the offseason, especially this one, being a major one [for development.]"
The 6-foot-11, 225-pounder expects to play Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. However, Sixers coach Brett Brown said he wasn't sure.
He missed the 104-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at the Pepsi Center because of a bruised right knee. Noel suffered the injury Sunday against the Boston Celtics. He remained in that game and played Monday against the Indiana Pacers.
Whenever he returns, fans will see a player who thrives in finishing plays around the basket with alley-oop dunks and tip-ins. Noel is shooting 52.3 percent from the field, which ranked 12th in the NBA entering Thursday. However, he's shooting just 27 percent from 10 feet out to the three-point line.
"I think I've taken some good shots," Noel said. "They just haven't fallen. So it's just a matter of keep putting up those shots and staying with it."
Early on, a lot of his problems were attributed to playing power forward.
He was uncomfortable at that position and often thought too much instead of just reacting like he does at center.
"You ease that into your game as opposed to playing the four, you are like, 'Do I have to take this jumper? Do I have to try to hit this?' " he said. "So I think that was definitely an aspect of more comfort.
"That was just the four [power forward], but overall . . . It's just not really trying to force your game."
With only 10 games left, it's unrealistic to think Noel will make drastic improvements by season's end. He'll spend most of the offseason in Philadelphia working on his game. Noel will also spend time with Todd Wright, the team's head of strength and conditioning.
"I just really want to be with him 70 to 80 percent of the summer just working on my body, because he's really one of the best at it," he said. "I think I can have a crazy summer of just building everything on my body and being a lot more explosive with him."
By developing a stronger and more explosive body, the hope is to become Noel 2.0 by next season.
Pierce interviews
There's a chance that Lloyd Pierce could go back to his alma mater.
The 76ers assistant coach interviewed for the vacant head coaching job at Santa Clara on Tuesday.
"I think Santa Clara is smart," Brown said. "I think Lloyd has all the ingredients to be an excellent coach on different levels. This one we are talking about is the collegiate level. I look at him as young up-and-coming coach.
"I've been with him all three of my years. I've empowered him a lot over that three-year time frame. . . . I think he ticks a lot of boxes."
Teaming up with backcourt mate Steve Nash, Pierce helped to lead the Broncos to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in 1995 and 1996 as a player. Following a four-year professional career with stops in Mexico, Australia, Germany, and Turkey, Pierce returned to Santa Clara as an assistant coach from 2003 to 2007.
He has been a member of the Sixers coaching staff since 2013. Before that, Pierce had assistant coaching stops with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors. He also was the Cleveland Cavaliers' player development coordinator.
@PompeyOnSixers