Toronto Raptors Should Stay Away from Nerlens Noel

Despite Nerlens Noel’s vast defensive potential, there are just too many reasons for the Toronto Raptors not to trade for the former sixth overall draft pick.

The Toronto Raptors‘ offence continues to perform at a level unseen before in franchise history. Unfortunately for fans, this effectiveness has not extended to the opposite end of the court.

Despite having the defensive-minded Dwane Casey in charge, it has been of little benefit to the team so far this season. As of Monday, they rank 21st in the NBA for opponents field goal percentage and 22nd for overall defensive efficiency.

It’s clear the Raptors miss Bismack Biyombo. However, there has to be more to the defensive struggles than his absence, given that the majority of last season’s roster returned for the 2016-17 campaign.

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As Casey looks to improve the defence, an interesting storyline is currently playing out in Philadelphia. Nerlens Noel is unhappy with how the 76ers have been utilizing him this season – or more to the point, how they haven’t been utilizing him.

Matters came to a head last Friday, when the 2013 sixth overall draft pick saw just eight minutes of action against the Los Angeles Lakers. He spoke to Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly and the rest of the media after the game, to share his frustrations.

Noel said: “I just want to play basketball. I don’t really care who I’m playing with… (but) I need to be on the court playing basketball.

“I think I’m too good to be playing eight minutes. Like, no, that’s crazy….They need to figure this s— out.”

As most Raptors’ fans will be aware, the 22-year old has been connected to their team for a while now. The latest such speculation came back in November, when ESPN’s Mark Stein reported that the Raptors front office was interested in trading for the 76ers’ big man.

Fuel has no doubt been added to the fire, after Philadelphia coach Brett Brown’s comments at the weekend. Brown basically admitted it would be an extreme challenge to keep Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid on the roster all season.

Just in case Noel wondered where he stood in the pecking order, Brown went on to say he will be out of the rotation for the foreseeable future. As the odd man out, it does seem to indicate the third-year player’s path lies elsewhere.

With all of this in mind, you would imagine that now is the time for the Raptors to strike. The Malden, Massachusetts native’s defensive potential is off the charts, and theoretically what Casey’s team could desperately use, to strengthen themselves in this area.

Apr 12, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) blocks Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel (4) from shooting in the first half at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

However, there are plenty of reasons why the Raptors shouldn’t make a move for Noel. For a start, there is the way he has conducted himself this season, culminating with his recent outburst about a lack of playing time.

Brown recently said that part of the reason for not playing the youngster more, comes down to his still not being 100 percent healthy. He has been recovering from an inflamed plica above his left knee, which required surgery back in October.

Given this situation — while understanding the natural tendency of a professional athlete to be impatient — Noel’s reaction speaks volumes about his maturity, or lack thereof. This fits in with recent comments by NBA journalist Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast, saying that teams did research on his habits and how he carries himself, with the results being less than impressive.

With such damning returns, why would a Raptors’ team renowned for it’s excellent team chemistry, want to bring in a potentially disruptive influence? Further, the recent injury only reinforces concerns about ongoing knee issues, which previously forced Noel to miss the entire 2013-14 season.