By now most NBA fans know that the Philadelphia 76ers are off to a dreadful start to the season as they have lost their first 12 games including Wednesday night's beat down at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. The 76ers aren't loaded with talent, so coming into this season they knew they needed a few things to break right in order for them to be respectable, and that has yet to happen. One of the keys for Philadelphia this season is Nerlens Noel, and so far he has not played all that well, but it might be because of a knee injury, according to Christopher A. Vito of the Daily Sports Times.
The one strength the 76ers thought they had coming into this season was their frontcourt, which is made up of Noel and Jahlil Okafor. So far Okafor has gotten off to a pretty good start, but Noel has not, and head coach Brett Brown thinks it might be because his knee is bothering him. Brown says that Noel has "had some knee problems with some tendinitis" that he has been dealing with so far this season.
Noel has played in 10 of the team's 12 games so far this year, so he deserves credit for gutting it out, but he has not shown much improvement on the offensive end like the Sixers were hoping. So far Noel is averaging 10.6 points per game, which is second on the team, but he is making just 40 percent of his field goal attempts, which isn't good, especially for a big man like Noel who takes most of his shots closer to the rim. Noel's blocks and steals have also been down to start this season, which could be an indication that his knee is really affecting his play.
Noel is far from the only reason the 76ers have struggled this season, but the former sixth overall pick is a key piece to their future, they were hoping for improvement this season, and he has yet to show it. Noel is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, but maybe a couple of games off would do him some good. Yes, at whatever strength he is now he is still one of Philadelphia's best players, but he is not playing to the level the Sixers want, so letting him get back to full strength might be the most prudent course of action for the team and for Noel.
