The Philadelphia 76ers And Nerlens Noel Need To Part Ways
The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t the best team this season, but they’ve shown an abundance of potential for years to come. The issue is, there are too many big men on this roster, and that’s made minute sharing a problem
The return of Joel Embiid, otherwise known as “The Process,” sparked a bit of a conundrum for the Philadelphia 76ers, even before the season started.
2015 draft pick, Jahlil Okafor, was the offensive weapon Philadelphia needed to move in a good direction, and his pairing with Nerlens Noel looked to be a bit effective for the most part.
But now, with Dario Saric, Embiid, Okafor, Noel and Richaun Holmes, who has shown signs of progress, the big man rotation is starting to look like a puzzle that the 76ers simply cannot complete.
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Noel has returned from a lengthy injury recovery, and that alone is reason enough for him to be moved. Embiid is getting the bulk of the minutes at center, with Okafor following.
Per ESPN, Noel recently met with Brett Brown to discuss his minute allotment, after playing eight minutes in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s safe to assume Brown did this as a means of monitoring Noel’s health so he can play at 100 percent sooner rather than later. However, there’s also the possibility that Noel just simply isn’t worth the 76ers’ time.
Embiid is the epitome of offense and defense that the 76ers need, and with Saric and Okafor both proving to be scoring threats, Noel just doesn’t fit on the roster anymore.
Irsan Ilyasova has managed to rise like a phoenix from the ashes as well. Since joining the team, Ilyasova has career-highs across all categories, the 14 points per game being his most noteworthy asset.
It’s also become quite apparent that Embiid is the answer for the 76ers’ center position.
Though it was against the Brooklyn Nets, who rank 28th in defensive efficiency per ESPN, Embiid’s 33-point explosion was a good indicator of just how skilled he is. He spaced the floor all the way out to the three-point line, employed a myriad of post moves, etc.
He’s still sitting out one half of back-to-backs, which opens up some room for Noel to play, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Brett Brown should still use Noel in any way.
Which brings us to the topic of trades.
The Washington Post‘s Tim Bontemps discussed the very same concept of comparing Noel and Okafor’s skill sets.
Though Okafor can hardly defend either frontcourt position, he’s still too effective on offense to dispose of. Besides, there are plenty of players in this league who can score with the best and defend poorly – and this rarely goes unnoticed.
That being said, Noel’s offensive talent is very limited.
His athleticism is definitely a plus, but he can basically only score off of lobs and sub-par post moves. Noel might not fit well with Philadelphia, but maybe he could be utilized in the city that drafted him to begin with.
The New Orleans Pelicans are without a capable center. Anthony Davis is often placed at the center position, and although he plays just as well at center as his natural position of power forward, it makes Davis an obvious focal point that can be easily contained.
Neither the Pelicans nor the 76ers are performing well this season, and both teams have had their fair share of injured players. So to prepare for the future, moving Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway for Robert Covington and Noel might prove fruitful on both ends.
Covington has been a tad inconsistent on offense, but he’s proven to be a solid defender on the perimeter, and his scoring potential far exceeds Dante Cunningham and Solomon Hill. The Pelicans would also be acquiring a stout defender in Noel, despite his injury risk. The Pelicans might, then, have some leeway in moving other players like Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca, who haven’t been the best acquisitions for New Orleans.
On the other end of this deal, Philadelphia would be acquiring an effective point guard in Tyreke Evans, who is in a contract year at the moment. He just returned from a long-term rehab, and his minutes are also limited at this time.
Evans would simply be a rental, as Ben Simmons is projected to be the starting point-guard upon return from his foot injury. In the meantime, Evans could provide good production across all statistical categories, and his length makes him useful on both ends of the ball.
Jrue Holiday is playing extremely well lately, and Tim Frazier is a quality back-up, which leaves Galloway with little playing time.
Galloway’s ability to be a combo-guard could ease the 76ers’ backcourt rotation, considering the mounting injuries. He’s a decent two-way player and can turn the 76ers’ defense around. There’s plenty of evidence to why he was chosen for the All-Rookie 2nd Team in 2015, and a career-high 26 points against the Memphis Grizzlies is only one aspect.
It should be apparent the Pelicans (11-21) and 76ers (7-22) aren’t in the race for a title. These quick moves could help their future so long as they’re executed properly. Of course, this all depends on both team’s intentions in free agency this summer. Nonetheless, it’d be an interesting move to see before the deadline in February.