Nerlens Noel making a strong move to return

For the past couple of days, Noel has been on display for the media to see. Monday it was in Atlanta following the team's shootaround. Yesterday it was at the team's practice facility at PCOM. The rust from not having played since a torn ACL in his left knee toward the end of his only season at Kentucky felled him is more obvious than anything. But there are just so many signs that he could be everything that people thought he could be in the NBA before the injury that dropped him from the undisputed top pick to the sixth overall.

This very well may whet the appetites of 76ers fans, but that hunger probably won't be satisfied this season. The first time Noel is in uniform could be Summer League play in July.

"I'm sorry to say the same, old answer and he's just moving forward and I can't even really give you a rate," coach Brett Brown said. "You see what I see. Whether he is going to play or not is still up in the air. But I think just to watch him, how can you not get excited about what we're all seeing?

-- Philadelphia Daily News