Where is Nerlens?

[Negrodamus]

Noel is going to be useless without a real NBA PG on the roster.

Weird, why would a point guards affect how Nerlens plays on defense (the side of the court he's dominant on)?

It happened last year. When Noel wasn't getting spoonfed baskets he was disengaged on the defensive end. He got better on both sides of the court once we got Ish.

I think Sergio will be good for him offensively, but ultimately it doesn't even matter because I think Noel is a dead man walking. As soon as he is healthy I think he is going to be traded.


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It might be him not getting the ball, or it might be complete incompetence of the team. If they are going to get throttled, he might have acquired some learned helplessness.

[hookshot199]

Noel is going to be useless without a real NBA PG on the roster.

Weird, why would a point guards affect how Nerlens plays on defense (the side of the court he's dominant on)?

Other teams don't want to trade for a defensive player who looks horrible on offense. But they very much want that exact guy when they wee him getting 10ppg on 60% shooting and killing teams that ignore him on offense.

Really. Then why did Phil Jackson sign Joakim Noah to four years and $75 mil at 31. What's the difference between Noah's game and Noel's game.

Don't be shocked if Noah's coach, Thibs, doesn't have his eyes set on Noel. Same player. The only thing holding up a deal in my opinion is a) proof that Noel is healthy and b) Thibodeau concluding that trading a five pick in a two-man draft is worth a defensive anchor who's only 22 years old.

[spikeslovechild]

Weird, why would a point guards affect how Nerlens plays on defense (the side of the court he's dominant on)?

Other teams don't want to trade for a defensive player who looks horrible on offense. But they very much want that exact guy when they wee him getting 10ppg on 60% shooting and killing teams that ignore him on offense.

Really. Then why did Phil Jackson sign Joakim Noah to four years and $75 mil at 31.

Phil Jackson is likely asking himself the same question.

[hookshot199]

Other teams don't want to trade for a defensive player who looks horrible on offense. But they very much want that exact guy when they wee him getting 10ppg on 60% shooting and killing teams that ignore him on offense.

Really. Then why did Phil Jackson sign Joakim Noah to four years and $75 mil at 31.

Phil Jackson is likely asking himself the same question.

No doubt. He's old and injury prone. But seven consecutive playoff series. Once to the third round, twice to the second round. A shot even uglier than Noel's.

We'll see. Boston should have traded the three pick for Noel (not Okafor). They'd be a legitimate contender. Minnesota is not playing good defense. They have Thibs. Let's see.

Again, same player.

[Ericb5]

Weird, why would a point guards affect how Nerlens plays on defense (the side of the court he's dominant on)?

It happened last year. When Noel wasn't getting spoonfed baskets he was disengaged on the defensive end. He got better on both sides of the court once we got Ish.

I think Sergio will be good for him offensively, but ultimately it doesn't even matter because I think Noel is a dead man walking. As soon as he is healthy I think he is going to be traded.


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It might be him not getting the ball, or it might be complete incompetence of the team. If they are going to get throttled, he might have acquired some learned helplessness.

Maybe, but my point was that not being helped on offense CAN hurt his defense because I think it happened last year. The more involved he is offensively the more effectively he defended.


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[76ciology]

FWIW, I'd like to see ilyasova or Saric with Noel and trio of them on D.

[phifans]

Noel-Embiid don't know how they gonna work out on offense. But this pair would be a nightmare for rest of the league on defense.

[kriss73]

A frontcourt rotation of Embiid-Saric-Noel-Ilya (or stretch-4 equivalent) would be money.
This implies that Okafor would be the odd man out.

[phifans]

A frontcourt rotation of Embiid-Saric-Noel-Ilya (or stretch-4 equivalent) would be money.
This implies that Okafor would be the odd man out.

Not gonna happen though. Noel would leave if he couldn't start with Embiid and play Ersan/Saric at 4/5 would be a disaster on defense.

[kriss73]

A frontcourt rotation of Embiid-Saric-Noel-Ilya (or stretch-4 equivalent) would be money.
This implies that Okafor would be the odd man out.

Not gonna happen though. Noel would leave if he couldn't start with Embiid and play Ersan/Saric at 4/5 would be a disaster on defense.

I know Noel isn't going to accept that role, but I was thinking something like Embiid-Noel-Holmes as C rotation and Saric, Ilya, whoever we draft in the second round of 2017 draft as developing stretch-4 as PF rotation.

Pace, spacing and defense*, I like it.

Then build the backcourt and SF position around Simmons, 2017 first round picks and FA/trades.

*rim protection

[Sportfan73]

A frontcourt rotation of Embiid-Saric-Noel-Ilya (or stretch-4 equivalent) would be money.
This implies that Okafor would be the odd man out.

Not gonna happen though. Noel would leave if he couldn't start with Embiid and play Ersan/Saric at 4/5 would be a disaster on defense.

He can accept that role or he can accept the QO and lose 15 mil or do. Up to him.

[kriss73]

A frontcourt rotation of Embiid-Saric-Noel-Ilya (or stretch-4 equivalent) would be money.
This implies that Okafor would be the odd man out.

Not gonna happen though. Noel would leave if he couldn't start with Embiid and play Ersan/Saric at 4/5 would be a disaster on defense.

He can accept that role or he can accept the QO and lose 15 mil or do. Up to him.

Someone is going to give him a rich offer sheet: even without playing, he is the best C (on the long run) on the RFA/FA market this summer.
I mean:

Bogut
Monroe
M.Plumee (RFA)
Olynik (RFA)
Pachulia
Splitter
Baynes

[phifans]

Not gonna happen though. Noel would leave if he couldn't start with Embiid and play Ersan/Saric at 4/5 would be a disaster on defense.

He can accept that role or he can accept the QO and lose 15 mil or do. Up to him.

Someone is going to give him a rich offer sheet: even without playing, he is the best C (on the long run) on the RFA/FA market this summer.
I mean:

Bogut
Monroe
M.Plumee (RFA)
Olynik (RFA)
Pachulia
Splitter
Baynes

Thats true we could keep him if we want but its hard to believe our FO would be willing to pay him 20 million per year if he's just gonna bench Embiid up 15 mins every game.

[kriss73]

Not "bench player" but "second unit leader": it sounds better, maybe Noel is going to buy in

[NJ SixerFan]

I know it would be extremely difficult right now with how ersan is playing but I would like to see if a starting front court of Biid and noel could work offensively. I have little doubts it will work defensively. I think noel could def be sold on starting with biid and Simmons and playing the backup center minutes. If it doesn't work out at least there would be no what ifs and you move on.

[hookshot199]

He can accept that role or he can accept the QO and lose 15 mil or do. Up to him.

Someone is going to give him a rich offer sheet: even without playing, he is the best C (on the long run) on the RFA/FA market this summer.
I mean:

Bogut
Monroe
M.Plumee (RFA)
Olynik (RFA)
Pachulia
Splitter
Baynes

Thats true we could keep him if we want but its hard to believe our FO would be willing to pay him 20 million per year if he's just gonna bench Embiid up 15 mins every game.

I'm not the team doctor, so know nothing about what sort of minutes Embiid should be restricted to for the next several years. But assuming 30 is a reasonable number: If Embiid plays 30 mpg at center on defense, Noel would play 18 mpg at center on defense (second squad). When they're both in the game (12 minutes), Noel would play 4 on defense and Embiid stretch 4 on offense.

I realize it's not so simple and that this would mean that Okafor would eventually have to be traded.

But if you want a monster defensive team, then you keep both Embiid and Noel, and the coach finds a way to make it work.

[Sportfan73]

Not gonna happen though. Noel would leave if he couldn't start with Embiid and play Ersan/Saric at 4/5 would be a disaster on defense.

He can accept that role or he can accept the QO and lose 15 mil or do. Up to him.

Someone is going to give him a rich offer sheet: even without playing, he is the best C (on the long run) on the RFA/FA market this summer.
I mean:

Bogut
Monroe
M.Plumee (RFA)
Olynik (RFA)
Pachulia
Splitter
Baynes

And then we match move him later, or don't move him at all.

[ShirleyTemple]

He can accept that role or he can accept the QO and lose 15 mil or do. Up to him.

Someone is going to give him a rich offer sheet: even without playing, he is the best C (on the long run) on the RFA/FA market this summer.
I mean:

Bogut
Monroe
M.Plumee (RFA)
Olynik (RFA)
Pachulia
Splitter
Baynes

And then we match move him later, or don't move him at all.

If we don't trade him by then, matching every offer for Noel is a no brainer.

[LloydFree]

I know it would be extremely difficult right now with how ersan is playing but I would like to see if a starting front court of Biid and noel could work offensively. I have little doubts it will work defensively. I think noel could def be sold on starting with biid and Simmons and playing the backup center minutes. If it doesn't work out at least there would be no what ifs and you move on.

Not really that difficult. They could let Noel play with Embiid for 4 minutes at the start of each half and then keep them separated for the other 40 minutes of the game. That way Noel gets the ego boost of being the starter, while really being the backup Center. Ersan could then have as much time as they want, on the floor with either Embiid or Noel.

[spikeslovechild]

I know it would be extremely difficult right now with how ersan is playing but I would like to see if a starting front court of Biid and noel could work offensively. I have little doubts it will work defensively. I think noel could def be sold on starting with biid and Simmons and playing the backup center minutes. If it doesn't work out at least there would be no what ifs and you move on.

Not really that difficult. They could let Noel play with Embiid for 4 minutes at the start of each half and and then keep them separated for the other 40 minutes of the game. That way Noel gets the ego boost of being the starter, while really being the backup Center. Ersan could then have as much time as they want, on the floor with either Embiid or Noel.

What you typed is utter nonsense. First of all, Embiid eventually will be playing 33-35 minutes a game. He's already close to 30 (playing at around 28 minutes right now) in his most recent outings. That leaves 20 minutes for Noel as a backup this season and 13-15 minutes moving forward. That just isn't enough to keep him happy or more importantly justify paying him the kind of max money deal he is looking for.

Two, playing him at PF for 4 minutes with Embiid accomplishes nothing unless he plays well and in the unlikely event he does then he should be playing more minutes at PF not just 4. If he doesn't then why play him there in the first place? We have Saric. Ersan. Holmes. All who are more then capable why would we cut their minutes and hurt the team to placate Noel?