Nerlens Noel, Upset Over Playing Time With 76ers, Sounds Off In Postgame Rant

It appears not everyone in Philadelphia is trusting the process.

Nerlens Noel, who missed the first two-plus months of the season for the 76ers while recovering from offseason knee surgery, appeared in his second game of the campaign Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. The problem? Noel played only eight minutes, tallying two points in a 100-89 loss.

The Sixers apparently are easing the 22-year-old back into action, but judging by Noel’s comments after the game, he clearly isn’t on board.

“I just want to play basketball,” Noel said, via CSN Philly. “I don’t really care who I’m playing with. I’m not an eight-minute player, so I don’t know what that’s about.

“I don’t really care. 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. That’s crazy. That’s crazy. They need to figure this s— out.”

Noel was listed as questionable before the game with a sprained ankle he suffered in his season debut Sunday. But the second-year forward also is aware there will be a minutes crunch even when he’s healthy in a talented yet crowded frontcourt that includes Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid (and Ben Simmons, when he returns from injury).

“I anticipated this,” Noel said. “Like I said before, I think it’s just too much on the coach’s plate. Pretty much, I think like I said, the guys that run the operations, they do what they do.”

It’s long been reported that Noel prefers a trade from the Sixers, and his comments Friday likely will fuel that speculation — especially if the Malden, Mass., native continues to see limited minutes going forward.