This upcoming season should serve as a big step for Detroit's Andre Drummond

Next season, Andre Drummond’s second as a professional will be big for him. 

It seems cliché to say that someone’s sophomore season is important, as obviously continual development is important for any athlete, especially an NBA center. 

But for Drummond, who SB Nation recently predictedwould be the league’s third best overall player come 2017, it is time to let the league at large know just how good he can be. 

With his combination of size, speed, and athleticism, Drummond has the potential to be a franchise-caliber player, and this season will be an excellent opportunity for him to demonstrate what he can do for Detroit (or another franchise for that matter). 

Nerlens Noel gets it done defensively

This article originally ran on Philly.com. over the weekend. Check out the article in its entirety here.
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"Nerlens Noel had a unique college career. 

Not only was it exceptionally short, as injury issues limited him to 24 total games, but he was also one of the rare college players that was able to achieve extreme accolade and build a buzz largely based around what he did on the defensive end. 

Although he eventually slipped to sixth on draft day due to concerns about his knees and the company he keeps, Noel was widely considered one of the most, if not the most, promising prospect coming out of college this summer. Many mock drafts had him pegged as the top pick. 

Noel was able to garner all that attention while attempting less than seven shots a game, and posting a total usage of just over 17%. (As a comparison point, C.J. McCollum, the draft’s 10^th overall pick, posted a usage rate of 37.2% during his truncated senior season at LeHigh).

Some notes on the upcoming Sixers season

Here are some interesting notes on the upcoming Sixers season, courtesy of Sixers.com:

The Sixers will play their 82-game 2013-14 season over the course of 168 days.

They will play 17 of those games in October/November, 13 in December, 16 games in each January and March, 11 in February, and finally 8 in April.

A total of 24 of these games will take place over a weekend; 20 will be on a Saturday, while 4 fall on a Sunday.

Pulling for the New Orleans Pelicans to be bad

As a vested fan of all four of the major Philadelphia sports franchises, I am rarely compelled to show extreme interest in another team throughout the course of a season. 

Sure I follow the leagues at large with great detail. I know who is trending up and down, what players are in the conversation for which award, which teams have a realistic shot at a title, and so on and so forth. 

But, I rarely, if ever, become emotionally invested in a team outside of Philly during a season. Sure, once the Sixers, or Eagles, or whoever are eliminated from playoff contention then I can pick another team to pull for.

This season however, I will be paying close attention to New Orleans, and pulling for the Pelicans to stink throughout the season; just not as much as the Sixers. 

The Miami Heat are a great fit for Greg Oden's latest return

There was a time when Greg Oden was expected to be the face of a franchise.

Now, Miami fans will probably be appreciative if he even plays.

Injury issues cost the first overall selection of the 2007 draft his shot at NBA superstardom, but after countless knee surgeries, he's still giving it a go.

Considering he's only been able to play in 82 total games in six seasons, it would have been really easy for Oden to throw in the towel at some point, say after the sixth surgery, but he hasn't; that has to count for something.

Realistically, Miami is a great spot for Oden to approach his first action since the 2009-10 season, as opposed to a developing team that would expect consistent production from the center.

The pro's & con's of sitting Nerlens Noel for the entire 2013-14 NBA season

Check out the full article here, which ran on Philadunkia yesterday afternoon.

The hyperbole of “is this guy ever going to play for us,” became a real question for the Sixers last season, one that was answered with a resounding ‘no.’

The Andrew Bynum debacle likely soured Sixer fans on injuries for the foreseeable future. 

One of the last things followers of the organization want to see, aside from a Kwame Brown re-signing, is another center sitting on the sidelines for an entire season without seeing a second of in-game action. 

Especially a center with a fancy hair-do (see: flattop).

Thus, reaction was mixed when the Sixers selected the already-injured Nerlens Noel on draft day.

“Not again.”

“Are they serious; another one?”

Noel wasn’t expected to play until the all-star break at the earliest anyway, but at his introductory press conference a few weeks back it didn’t seem like the organization had set any timetable on his return. 

“[Noel’s] long-term health is our main goal,” Hinkie stated very vaguely, leaving little indication of when we may see the scrawny (Noel said he weighs around 219 pounds currently) center out on the court. 

However, considering the current state of the Sixers (not very good), and their overall aspirations for the season (stink & secure lottery picks), an argument could be made that it isn’t necessary to bring Noel back this season.