The roster construction of the Philadelphia 76ers already seems peculiar from the outside looking in. Apparently, their very own players now think so too.
In an interview with Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, just one day before the team’s annual media day, Sixers big man Nerlens Noel expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s crowded frontcourt situation.
“I think it’s just silly . . . this situation that we are in now with three starting centers,” Noel said. “With the departure of [former general manager and president] Sam Hinkie, I would have figured that management would be able to get something done this summer. I think something needs to happen.
“I feel like it definitely needs to be figured out,” he went on. “I think at the end of the day, again, you have three starting-caliber centers. And it’s just not going to work to anybody’s advantage having that on the same team. That’s how I’m looking at it. I’m not opposed to anything, but things need to be situated.”
Part of Noel’s frustration may be because he appears to be the odd man out in the triumvirate. With one of his counterparts, Joel Embiid, finally on track to make his NBA debut this season and the other one, Jahlil Okafor, coming off a strong statistical rookie season, Noel is likely looking at a bench role for Philly in 2016-17. The arrival of top overall pick Ben Simmons will also dry up a lot of potential power forward minutes that might have otherwise gone to Noel.
In defense of management however, it looks they’ve actually been making an effort to unclutter their frontcourt logjam this offseason, albeit to no success. Noel’s name in particular has been mentioned in several trade rumors, as he seems to be the most logical of the three to move. Though he’s the strongest, most versatile defender, Noel is relatively undersized for a center and is the rawest of the bunch offensively.
As a 2013 first-rounder, Noel has until October 31 to sign an extension with the team or else he will become a restricted free agent at the end of the year. Hopefully, that impending deadline will give the Sixers a sense of urgency to clean up what’s become a truly wacky state of affairs in their frontcourt.
H/T Rotoworld
