According to ESPN, citing sources, 76ers rookie Nerlens Noel has been cleared to resume basketball activities by Dr. James Andrews, the renowned orthopedic surgeon. Noel has been recovering from a torn ACL he suffered on Feb. 12 while playing as a freshman at the University of Kentucky.
The report also states that Noel could return to the court and make his professional debut sometime after the NBA’s All-Star Break, which takes place Feb. 14-16. That would set the timetable at four-to-six weeks.
"He is doing excellent, and the team is taking good care of him," Andrews told ESPN.
Philadelphia would not confirm the timetable. Head coach Brett Brown told Comcast SportsNet the team would only announce the specifics of when to expect the first round lottery pick on the floor once they get closer to the actual return.
“When it does become real, we’ll be more than transparent with his progress and his timeline,” Brown said. “There’s nothing clandestine going on. There’s no conspiracy theories flying around. It’s very clear that he’s moving forward. But timelines and that type of timeline, we don’t see it like that.”
Back in November, Brown made clear that Noel was a long-term project. He said that the team planned to work him down and build him back up, rebuilding his jump shot.
Yesterday, Christopher Vito of the Delco Times shared a video of Noel hitting a jump shot at practice. The center has been practicing in one-on-one drills against former center and Sixers coach George Foster.
It will be interesting to see how soon he makes his team debut, as well as how much time on the court he actually sees over the final two-plus months. The 76ers of course are more interested in securing a high lottery draft pick than they are in getting into the Eastern Conference playoffs—a spot that is only three and a half games away.
Furthermore, the last young, high-profiled athlete to be a patient of Andrews was Robert Griffin III. The football player returned in time for opening day, as Eagles fans know, but struggled mightily throughout the season, prompting discussion on whether he was rushed.
The difference, of course, is that the Redskins were trying to defend a division title and take the next step forward, while the Sixers literally have no interest in winning this season. Basically, they have no excuse whatsoever if Noel looks unhealthy, rushed back and not at full strength.
