What Does Nerlens Noel's Return Mean for Sixers This Season?

Nerlens Noel is back, so now what does that mean for the Sixers?

Noel’s return from elective arthroscopic left knee surgery has been anticipated for many reasons. His addition to the Sixers' roster has a trickle down effect across the team. 

Let’s start with the most glaring topic and explore what other facets will be affected.

Roster balance and possible trades
The Sixers' frontcourt was crowded last season when it was a matter of figuring out how to utilize Noel and Jahlil Okafor, both true centers. Now Joel Embiid has been added to the mix, and not only is he another five man, he is the five man. 

There are too many bigs. The roster is overloaded with three centers who could be starters. Noel has spoken out about the situation, and maintained his viewpoint when nearing his return. What the Sixers do and when they do it remains to be seen.

It seems likely Noel or Okafor will be traded this season. Making a move when Noel was sidelined was not practical. The trade value for an injured player who hasn’t suited up since April isn’t exactly sky high, and dealing Okafor would have left the Sixers shorthanded while Noel was rehabbing.  

With Noel’s return, this is the time when the Sixers can get a better look at their roster, who pairs well with who and how they would fit when Ben Simmons is playing. This also is when other teams can evaluate a healthy Noel as a potential trade prospect. The Sixers don’t have to jump into a deal, but having all of their centers back could move them one step closer to balancing their roster. 

Towering duo?
Last season the question was, how can Noel and Okafor play together? At the start of this season (with Noel out) the question was, will Embiid and Okafor play together? Now there is the consideration of, will Noel be paired with Embiid or Okafor? 

Since the Sixers have Ilyasova and Saric at the four, the latest question is more of an option than a necessity. It is one, though, Brown is exploring. The combination of Noel and another big would be based on matchups, as was the case with Embiid and Okafor. 

“You just try to pick your moments where you can maybe pair those guys up,” Brown said. “I think it will be a more genuine conversation as Nerlens starts playing more with us. He’s just really come back into it. But we come back and you play Toronto (Wednesday) and you have all three bigs available, then it becomes another level of a conversation. I do look forward to it when we have an opportunity to intelligently match up with other people and we’ll play it out like that.”

Richaun Holmes’ minutes
Brown has plenty of empathy for Richaun Holmes this season. The second-year big comes to practice each day, puts his head down, gets to work … and doesn’t always see playing time for it. There will be even less minutes to go around with Noel back. The 23-year-old Holmes has handled his inconsistent role with maturity, embracing the mentality of “stay ready every game.” 

His minutes this month have ranged from eight against the Magic (healthy Embiid and Okafor) to 34 against the Grizzlies (started without Embiid and Okafor playing) depending on the availability of the bigs. Holmes could benefit from an assignment to the Sixers’ D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, to get reps and stay active if his role drops significantly. 

Starting five spot
Embiid is the starter on nights he is available, bumping both Noel and Okafor to the bench in those scenarios. Embiid is not playing every game this season, and Okafor has been getting the nod on those occasions. Will that change with Noel? 

In the early stages I’d expect Noel to still come off the bench as he builds up his wind and gets reacclimated to the flow of the NBA after a lengthy layoff. Also, Okafor’s production is noticeably higher as a starter compared to a reserve this season (15.1 points, 59.0 field goal percentage, 5.4 rebounds vs. 9.3 points, 48.2 field goal percentage, 4.2 rebounds). Once Noel is back in the swing of things, though, the Sixers could considering going with with different starting lineup looks based on how they match up with the opponent when Embiid is out.

Dario Saric’s role
Saric’s role has been evolving quietly in just a matter of months. Initially the Sixers could have brought Saric off the bench at power forward behind Ben Simmons. That changed when Simmons suffered a foot injury, and Saric was thrown into the starting lineup. It was a tall task for a rookie in a new league. The Sixers moved Saric to the bench after acquiring veteran Ersan Ilyasova, a role in which Saric found success. 

Saric, as of late, has been playing small forward. This early experience at the three spot will create different lineup looks with Noel’s return. Rather than Saric being stuck on the sidelines with an overload of power forwards and centers, Brown can shift him to small forward and go big. 

Pace of the game
Noel brings quickness to the Sixers, who rank atop the NBA with an average speed of 4.39 MPH. Breaking that down further, however, they average 4.81 on offense (first) and drop to 3.94 on defense (second behind the Nets). The flow of the game can change with Noel’s athleticism. 

“You just do things a little bit faster,” Brown said. “You want to run, you can run faster. You want to protect the rim, you do it with a little bit more of a bounce.”