Brown on Noel: “We’re not going to waste this opportunity”

Nerlens Noel may be out injured for Philadelphia 76ers, but that hasn’t prevented him travelling with the side on their European tour as part of the NBA Global Games.

Speaking to head coach Brett Brown in Manchester ahead of their game on Tuesday night against Oklahoma City Thunder, he was able to give an update on Noel’s recovery and an insight as to the working relationship between him and the rookie center fresh from Kentucky after just one year in college.

“[The recovery] is going slow but I like him being with us,” began coach Brown, “where he can listen to me, he can be with his team mates, he can be in the video room, he can watch how our practice unfolds; he’s in the game.”

Asked whether or not it was the player’s choice to travel or the team’s choice, Brown made no question who it was that made the call: “It’s our decision that he will travel everywhere with us.

“The last thing we what to do is take a young player that for the first time is earning significant money and leave him all by himself in the city of Philadelphia and think he’s going to jump in the team late this year or whenever that may be.

“I see this is a free year where we get a chance to teach him and educate him and break down his shot,” Brown continued, “we’re not going to waste this opportunity.”

The recent acquisition of Noel has not left much time to get to know him personally, having officially signed for the Sixers less than a fortnight ago, but he has greatly impressed Brown: “I think he’s great – when you talk to him, he’s got wide eye, got big personality, he’s endearing and I really take to him.

“And if you see him play, there’s a bounce to his game, an athleticism to him running the floor, he’s got a cocky side, a competitive side defensively that I love; I’m looking forward to watching him get back on the floor – there’s no timetable though to him coming back,” concluded Brown.

• Limited tickets for the Sixers versus Thunder game at the Phones4u Arena in Manchester are available at: www.eventim.co.uk