National Basketball Association

Can Joel Embiid Resolve Nerlens Noel Drama?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:35 p.m. ET

Fansided, Bret Stuter/FanSided via The Sixer Sense

Mar 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel (left) and center Joel Embiid (right) share a laugh during warm ups before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Hinkie Plan was to pair Joel Embiid with Nerlens Noel in the Philadelphia 76er front court. Will the player known as “The Process” restore the process to Philadlephia 76ers?

Nerlens Noel was the first player dealt for by Sam Hinkie. As such, he carries a tremendous burden in the new regime: put up or shut up. Virtually on his heels came the selection of Joel Embiid. Embiid was also a center with an injury requiring rehab, also promising huge potential. Despite plenty of promise, he needed the faith of a “numbers guy” to recognize his potential.

Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid formed a bond. The duo were the first vanguard of a process that will build a championship . These two centers were the commitment of Sam Hinkie to ensure that the Philadelphia 76ers would NOT need to seek a center under his watch. But most of all, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid became teammates, and friends.

And then they became competitors for playing time.

But that was not the design. Fans who trusted the process knew that it was Nerlens Noel cross-trained as a perimeter defender, and with it learned the shot arsenal of a potential power forward in the summer of 2015. That cross training was designed to move defense out, and let Embiid slide in to defend the post.

Embiid never made it to the basketball court last season. Instead, Jahlil Okafor and his post masterful offense arrived.

Nov 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with center Jahlil Okafor (8) during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Change Of Plans Fella’s!

And so, head coach Brett Brown tried to fuse the skills of Noel and Okafor on the fly. The sudden appearance of Okafor threw Brown for a loop. Perhaps he was not among the inner circle. Perhaps he was already under duress for the team committing to Carl Landry, Tony Wroten, Kendall Marshall, Robert Covington, and the vacuum at point guard plugged by T.J. McConnell and eventually filled by Ish Smith at Christmas 2015.

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It was no wonder that the head coach did not have sufficient time to assess and develop the chemistry between Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. The team simply had too many other major fires to put out, and the embers of Okafor/Noel compatibility was pushed to the back burner.

Stick To The Plan

Since the plan was already in place to put Nerlens Noel out on the four, it was a simple and logical conclusion that Jahlil Okafor could align at the center position and commit Nerlens Noel to the power forward role.

However, the polarity of the two players were reversed from conventional NBA strategy. Traditionally, the better defensive player remains at center, serving as a rim-protector, and defending the basket. Likewise, the better offensive option traditionally plays power forward. While still owning some defensive responsibilities at the post, the power forward has more shot options from mid-range and even from the perimeter – leading to the term “stretch four”.

Right players, wrong roles. What could be done?

Dec 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers special advisor Jerry Colangelo (L) goes over first quarter stats with owner Joshua Harris (R) during a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. The Spurs won 119-68. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Colangelo Chaos

Everything became far more complicated with the arrival of Jerry Colangelo. You may recall that Jerry Colangelo was brought to the Philadelphia 76ers as a sort of NBA liason representing the Philadelphia 76ers ownership in assessing the impact, direction, and competitive results of moves made or proposed by then President Sam Hinkie.

At least that’s what we thought.

In the end, the appearance of Jerry Colangelo served as nothing more than as a vanguard to ensure the eventual hiring of his son, Bryan Colangelo. But as he worked the idea into the consensus among the Philadelphia 76ers ownership, he was actively aligning the team away from certain defeat.

Here Comes Colangelo’s Crew

You may recall the timing of acquiring assistant coach Mike D’Antoni, point guard Ish Smith, and power forward Elton Brand following closely on the heels of his alignment with the Philadelphia 76ers organization.

But you may have missed the subtle redirection of the team’s efforts to arrange the front court. In a curious statement strategically made to the media, Jerry Colangelo stated point blank that Nerlens Noel would never be a power forward. The process design was for Nerlens Noel to pair up with Joel Embiid originally. In one fell swoop, that plan was derailed. And so, the remainder of games with a healthy Jahlil Okafor (he played in just ten games after the Groundhog day announcement by JC) found Jahlil Okafor attempting the power forward role.

And then he fell to injury, and his season was over.

Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Noel Explodes

Nerlens Noel has been a very patient player. When the team needed a power forward to pair with arriving center Joel Embiid, he volunteered to cross-train. Similarly,the team needed the starting center to make room for the unanticipated arrival of center Jahlil Okafor. And so, Nerlens Noel was willing to do so. In the end, when the team needed Noel to slide back to the center position after newly arrived executive Jerry Colangelo named his efforts to play the four an utter failure, he did so.

But when the team fired the only team executive he ever knew, replaced him with the son of the man who claimed he was only a rim-protecting center, and then buried him third on a three man depth chart for the center position, he shared his frustration publicly.

End Of The Innocence

On the other hand, Noel had made some mistakes this season. He is a young man in the last year of his NBA contract, eager to showcase his wares to the NBA, and saw marginal opportunity to do so with the current Philadelphia 76ers depth chart. As such, he’d elected to have surgery clean up his knee when the season started. He opted to train away from the team, despite the urgings of teammate-turned-coach Elton Brand to stay connected to the team and not become an outsider.

In the end, Noel knew the role he had under Sam Hinkie, and landed in the dark under the new reign of Bryan Colangelo. The team decided to employ a basket-minded man of action. Unfortunately, acting is always more difficult than the assurance that action will occur.

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Talking About Taking Action Is Not Taking Action

From the moment Colangelo arrived, his was a challenging road to walk. Nearly all of the heavy lifting had been done by his predecessor. The roster was purged of overpaid veterans.The draft boards will light up like Christmas trees for the foreseeable future. Ultimately, the only decision Colangelo faced with certainty fell to whose name to call with the first selection of the 2016 NBA Draft. Virtually every other move, with the exception of staffing the front office, could simply play out via auto-pilot.

That is, as long as he didn’t alter the course of “The Process”.

Don’t Disturb The Sleeping Process

But Jerry Colangelo redirected the front court. Noel might have complimented Embiid, but did not compliment Okafor. In fact, the play of Jahlil Okafor requires a very specific type of power forward: one who can shoot comfortably from mid and long range, and who can stop shooters driving to the basket before they get there.

If the pattern of Sam Hinkie had been played out, the outcome would likely have been an immediate flip of Okafor to an NBA team behind closed doors, before the season started, for a lower than expected draft pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. But in the end, the Philadelphia 76ers may very well have emerged with the 2016 NBA prospect the team wanted, a 2017 first round pick, and a clear path of 2016-2017 NBA centers of Embiid, Noel, and likely Holmes.

In the end, Hinkie knew Embiid would emerge as a franchise player. Bryan Colangelo, not having had the years of working with Embiid, had no way of knowing that.

Talk About..

Bryan Colangelo talked at length about the front court stacking of centers, and per his repeated message to the media, intended to enter the 2016-2017 season with that pared down. He assured the public that three centers was too many.

And then he failed to act. But to make matters worse, he failed to talk the matter over with his three centers. In the end, he told the media, the public, and the entire world that the Philadelphia 76ers had a problem and needed to fix it. Then failed to fix it.

Don’t set the stage without a script

He did set the stage for interest in either NBA center: Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel. However, the team did not commit to either, fueling rampant speculation. Meanwhile, the incessant narrative indicating the Philadelphia 76ers desperation to unload one of three NBA centers encouraged NBA teams in need of center help to lowball the 76ers.

Even the scenario of awaiting the trade deadline in 2017 could have been spun as a win if the team had heard that as the plan from Colangelo. In the real world, play restrictions on both Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid allowed the team plenty of room to operate in regards to witnessing play from each individually and as combined. If the team committed to trade a center, the first window would be on or at the trade deadline – after witnessing the play of each center up to that point in time.

After all, no center was perfect healthwise.

Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Nerlens Noel (M) and forward Ben Simmons (R) during a timeout in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Embiid Leads the Way

The Philadelphia 76ers needed strong center play this season. With the start of the season, Noel came up suddenly injured, and went off to have knee surgery.

Soon enough, Nerlens Noel finished rehabbing and wanted to return to the team. Unfortunately, head coach Brett Brown does not see his line-up like a drive up window service, and meted out the barest of ten minutes of playing time to Noel before Noel twisted his ankle, followed by eight minutes of playing time for Noel several days later.

Noel erupted again. In fact, Noel changed agents, spoke out against the team regarding the center situation and the amount of playing time he was getting, and started a cascading series of statements and rebuttals. A cooler head had to act quickly.

Joel Embiid spoke up, and did so respectfully and masterfully.

Full comments from Joel Embiid on Nerlens Noel. Pretty strong endorsement. pic.twitter.com/zGMVvBUgLS

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) December 21, 2016

Joel Embiid saw Nerlens Noel under siege, and stood beside him. He wants to play alongside him too. For he has assumed a nickname of “The Process”, and that is what Hinkie wanted to see happen all along.

Joel Embiid is The Process

Joel Embiid cut through the posturing and the flames of emotions. With an incredibly tactful style and expert use of english, he aligned with Nerlens Noel. Embiid knows the challenge of aligning with offensive minded Jahlil Okafor. He also knows the Philadelphia 76ers are his team going forward.

As such, he’s not about to allow an incredible defensive talent like Noel slip out of the 76ers hands without a challenge. Recall the sell high buy low mandate of Hinkie. Right now, Noel is abysmally undervalued by the NBA. That serves to fuel his motivation, as well as limit his other options. And in the big picture, Noel is a month younger than Embiid.

The common thread among all players selected by Hinkie to remain on the 76ers team is their uncanny versatility. Players can play multiple positions, can be called into action for a small ball line-up or be sent in to out-heighten their opponent.

Save one: Jahlil Okafor.

It up to you, Joel

It’s now up to Embiid to salvage the situation. To do that, he needs to force all combatants back into their neutral corners. Then it’s a matter of systemically mixing and matching front court players to witness which grouping feels most compatible.

This is not a championship basketball team. But this team will compete for championships in the not-too-distant future. To do so, it will take more than talent. It will take the type of friendship, and trust, displayed by Joel Embiid for his teammate Nerlens Noel.

This is the Christmas Season, fans. Before your very eyes is a living example of The Christmas Carol. Sam Hinkie is the ghost of Christmas past. Joel Embiid is the ghost of Christmas present. I can only speculate regarding who may step forward as the ghost of Christmas future.

In any case, give Nerlens Noel some playing time. Our destiny may depend on it.