Noel 'definitely satisfied' with role on Sixers
Nerlens Noel is showing that he can become an exceptional long-term backup option to Joel Embiid. The 76ers don't miss a beat when Noel subs in for Embiid at the center spot. Like Embiid, the 6-foot-11, 232-pound Noel is a feared rim protector. Although he doesn't possess Embiid's offensive skills, Noel is an alley-oop highlight in the making in the transition game.
Nerlens Noel is showing that he can become an exceptional long-term backup option to Joel Embiid.
The 76ers don't miss a beat when Noel subs in for Embiid at the center spot. Like Embiid, the 6-foot-11, 232-pound Noel is a feared rim protector. Although he doesn't possess Embiid's offensive skills, Noel is an alley-oop highlight in the making in the transition game.
"Listen, I am very fond of Nerlens Noel," coach Brett Brown said. "We have spent four years with each other. I truly enjoy his company. To think that he could become a part of our future, I get excited to hear that."
Brown knows more than anyone the impact the 22-year-old could have alongside Dario Saric on the Sixers' second unit for seasons to come. He has seen Noel's growth since the big man was acquired in the 2013 draft.
But is Noel interested in remaining Embiid's backup past this season?
He said it "will just be a matter of time" to see if it's a good role for him.
"You now see how comfortable I can feel throughout the duration of the season, being at the place that I am at," Noel said. "So, right now, I feel pretty good. So we will just have to see."
For now, the Sixers and Noel are happy with his role.
It wasn't too long ago, however, that the player and the franchise were at odds. Noel spoke out about the Sixers' inability to move one of their centers this summer, even though it was widely known that he and Jahlil Okafor were both being shopped around.
The franchise didn't extend his rookie contract, which expires at the conclusion of this season. The Sixers also did not like that he missed the first 23 games after surgery to repair inflamed tissue above his left knee.
He returned as a low-minute third-stringer. Then Noel, the team's former franchise center, complained about playing only 8 minutes, 2 seconds against Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 16. Afterward, Brown said Noel would be taken out of the rotation for the foreseeable future. That lasted only six quarters.
All has been good in the last six games, with Noel averaging 10.8 points on 60 percent shooting (28 of 46). He's also averaging 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks. Noel has supplanted Okafor as the backup in the last five games. He and Embiid have split all of the minutes at center in the last three.
"At this moment in time, I'm definitely satisfied with where I'm at and the team's rotation," Noel said. "I think I'm able to go out there and still affect the game, change the game multiple ways."
Believe it or not, the former Kentucky standout appears to be the happiest he has been as a Sixer. A lot has to do with the team's improved play. He enjoys his teammates.
"This probably has been the closest team I've been on since I've been a Sixer," he said. "So I think that definitely speaks for itself."
Assuming they don't trade him, the Sixers could make Noel a restricted free agent by extending a qualifying offer at season's end. However, they would have to match any offer another team extends in free agency to keep him.
If he fails to negotiate a suitable long-term contract with another team, Noel could sign a one-year qualifying offer for $5.8 million with the Sixers. That would make him an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season.
"Where this ends up it will end up," Brown said. "It's not my call. But Nerlens has put himself in a position that I hope will end up good for him."
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