National Basketball Association

Elton Brand to Nerlens Noel: Don't Be an Outsider

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Philadelphia 76ers veteran presence Elton Brand had some words for Nerlens Noel as he mentored him this offseason. He told him to not be an outsider.

Elton Brand recently re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, making his NBA career older than most kids currently enrolled in high school. While he still plans on playing some this season (he said he tried to stay in cool dad shape this summer) his primary role is to offer the young 76ers roster guidance.

That’s why this summer, Brand served as a mentor to the 76ers center entering his third season, Nerlens Noel. His advice, however, revealed something that we may not have picked up on regarding Noel.

Brand told the media during media day that he advised for Noel to not be an outsider with the rest of the team, and seemed to be specifying towards the centers.

Brand also commended Noel for his ability to be a great small-ball center.

It is interesting that Brand had this to say about Noel. Noel seems like “one of the guys” when looking at the Sixers roster, so it’s interesting that Brand would indicate that he’s had trouble being an insider with the team.

Perhaps it’s because he’s one of the longest tenured players on the roster. Perhaps he hasn’t been able to form lasting relationships with players before they were traded away. That’s certainly one of the trade-offs of the way former president and general manager Sam Hinkie ran things, often trading away players on a whim.

Noel may have gotten used to having some players and friends around, only to see them get traded away shortly after forming good relationships with them.

Nonetheless, Brand probably knows best when it comes to being a player and building relationships on a team. Brand is one of the most respected teammates of all time. Hopefully he has more valuable information to offer to Noel and the rest of the team.