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As they look to redeem themselves from a first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics in last year’s postseason, the Brooklyn Nets are firming up their roster as they gear up for a playoff run. ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced on March 4, that Brooklyn would be signing former number six overall pick Nerlens Noel to a ten day contract.
“Free agent center Nerlens Noel is signing a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent tells ESPN. After completing a buyout with Pistons, Noel joins a Nets team needing some size off the bench,” Wojnarowski writes.
The Nets are no longer among the title favorites after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the deadline. Still, they have managed to keep themselves afloat in the playoff race as they currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 36-28.
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Nerlens Noel ‘Capable’ Nic Claxton Backup
Though Noel is not a household name, his addition to this current Nets roster is significant. In the 14 games he played with the Detroit Pistons this season, he has averaged 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds. His stats are not ideal, but the Nets do not need him to fill the stat sheet.
With his 6’11 frame, they need Noel for his size. With the lack of depth in the Nets frontcourt Brian Lewis of the New York Post says that Noel could be a “capable backup” for their starting center Nicolas Claxton.
“Noel, who has career averages of 7.2 points and 6.1 boards, is regarded as a capable defensive player. He could be a capable backup for Claxton, a role heretofore being filled by second-year pro Day’Ron Sharpe and oft-injured Ben Simmons,” Lewis writes.
“The 21-year-old Sharpe is still raw and has not played in three of the past five games. Simmons has missed 21 games this season and the past five straight while strengthening his sore knee, and now has back pain, according to coach Jacque Vaughn.”
Ben Simmons Injury Makes Nerlens Noel Signing Imperative
The injury status of All-Star Ben Simmons is also what makes the signing of Noel so significant for the Nets. For those who may be tardy to the party, Simmons has not played in a game since February 15 after dealing with knee soreness. But on March 5, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn announced that Simmons also had a flareup in his back, the same injury that held him out of action last season.
With the return of Simmons delayed, Lewis believes the addition of Noel to the frontcourt is even more imperative.
“It’s unclear when or even if Simmons will play again this season. Even if he does, he could be employed more as a backup point guard and playmaker now that stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have been traded,” Lewis adds.
“In the past few games, the Nets have had to use 6-7 power forward Dorian Finney-Smith and even on occasion 6-4 wing Royce O’Neale as small-ball fives. While it has been effective at times in small doses, it’s a dangerous way to live should Claxton get hurt. Vaughn has acknowledged that Claxton is being worn down. The spindly youngster has already logged 1,727 minutes this season, nearly as many as he totaled in his first three seasons combined (1,755).”
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