Michael Carter-Williams has three triple-doubles on the season, which ties Rajon Rondo for the most in the league. The Syracuse product had a triple-double in Friday’s win over the Wolves and nearly had another one in Wednesday’s win over the Pistons as he accumulated 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Earlier in the week, I examined the point guard’s trade value as well as the future plans for the Sixers.
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Giving up on Nerlens Noel would be an unwise move for the Sixers, opines Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey acknowledges that if the team gets the first pick in the 2015 draft, center Jahlil Okafor should be the selection and it might be difficult to find heavy minutes for both players. Still, Pompey believes Noel is rapidly improving and compares a potential Noel trade to the 2012 trade that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Magic, which should be a lesson for the franchise about giving up on a young talent too early.
- Thaddeus Young had nothing but praise for the Sixers when he returned to Philadelphia to play the team on Friday night, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “I gave my blood, sweat and tears literally to this franchise for seven years,” Young said. “It’s great to have these fans behind you because sometimes they can be pretty brutal, but they always stuck behind me, no matter what. … It was a great seven years, amazing seven years. It’s a business and you have to move on, but definitely I miss this place.” Young was sent to the Wolves in a three-way trade last offseason.
- Although Luc Mbah a Moute has been valuable to the Sixers as a player and as a mentor to their young players, the forward may find himself in Philadelphia for only one season, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The team should have a handful of young, talented players next season and the 28-year-old could find himself in a limited role. If he is going to be the eighth or ninth man on a team, in terms of minutes played, it may be more beneficial for him to be in that role on a winning team, which Philadelphia doesn’t project to be. Mbah a Moute will be a free agent at the end of this season.