New Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown attempted to clarify his recent comments about rookie big man Nerlens Noel likely missing the entire season, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Brett Brown backtracks from comments about Nerlens Noel missing season
The new 76ers coach hopes the rookie will be able to play this season.
Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Brown caused quite the stir Monday when he revealed that he thought Noel would sit the whole year because of a torn ACL. Noel’s agent responded by saying no decision has been made as of yet, and based on what Brown said after practice Tuesday, it seems somebody in the organization may have had a little chat with the coach.
Brown said Tuesday that the decision on Noel’s future would “be made by a variety of a lot smarter people than me. The coach went on to say the Sixers hope Noel can come back this season, but nobody is quite sure how things will play out.
Noel sitting out the year truly wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, and if his rehab isn’t going as well as hoped, it may be the best course of action. There’s no reason to bring him back to a team that won’t be winning many games this year if there’s a substantial risk of re-injury.
However, it’s certainly a bit early to be making declarations about Noel missing the year unless there has been a major setback. If Noel is healthy and ready to play, it would be beneficial for him to see some time on the court this season. Holding out a healthy Noel would simply reek of a tank job, even if it’s somewhat obvious that’s what the Sixers are going for.
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