76ers rookie center Nerlens Noel still working on his game

DALLAS - Nerlens Noel's games don't count in the standings. They aren't played in front of cheering crowds or TV cameras.

But for the 76ers and their prized rookie center, they are as important as any games on the NBA schedule.

The former Kentucky star is out indefinitely as he rehabs his surgically repaired left knee, and there is a good chance he won't play at all this season. But he is on the court everyday, working with coach Brett Brown and assistant Greg Foster on his shooting, a process Brown said is starting from "ground zero."

"And we're not budging for a long period of time," the coach said. "We'll spice it up a little with different games, but it is what it is - a bunch of different ways to shoot one-handed, a bunch of different ways to get his guide hand up. But you will not see his off hand touch the ball for a good 3 months."

The reason for that is that the construction project of Noel's shot is a major one. The 6-11 Noel is supremely gifted athletically, but he needs a longer-range offensive weapon, Brown said, to completely unlock his potential.

An outside shot, Brown said, is "a part of his game that's going to make his world so much easier as he gets older. Because he's so athletic, if people have to play him from a reasonable distance, his speed and his bounce and his length are going to get him to the rim. It's the key to unlock him enjoying basketball and growing into a very, very good player."

Brown said he adds a competitive aspect to Noel's drills - giving him goals to make a certain number of shots in a row, for example - to keep him motivated.

But the bottom line is that the shooting work is an investment in a player the Sixers clearly believe is their future.

"There are times when I felt maybe I'm putting him in a bad spot in front of people, doing stuff that is clearly development work, and I don't want to demean him," Brown said. "But that's his game . . . that's his stage. It's not with referees and a full house, but that's his game.

"I'm convinced - and I've seen it already - his form is better. It's a total rebuild of his shot, and I think we can all make money if we invest that kind of time throughout an NBA season."