Philadelphia 76ers Rookie Nerlens Noel Could Sit Out Entire 2013-14 NBA Season

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to have a depleted frontline for an entire season again as coach Brett Brown said that they will likely sit out rookie Nerlens Noel for the entire 2013-14 NBA season.

In an ESPN interview, the newly-installed coach said that he doubts if the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft will be ready to play this season after recovering from ACL knee surgery that Noel underwent in March.

"I doubt, everybody doubts that he's going to play this year," Brown said when asked about the 19-year-old center. "We don't want to waste this year. I think from a skill perspective, it's an opportunity for us to break down his shot, really work on his free throws and start a little bit from ground zero."

Noel, who tore the ACL in his left knee in March while still playing for the Kentucky Wildcats, was originally drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans. The 76ers acquired the lanky center in a draft-day trade that sent their All-Star guard Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans.

The 76ers initially planned to play Noel sometime in the latter half of the upcoming season. After the surgery, Noel was required to undergo rehabilitation for six to eight months, but the 76ers looks bent on taking a cautious approach on the recovery of the 6-foot-11 center.

Noel was originally listed as the consensus firs -overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but he fell down in most draft boards after sustaining the ACL injury.

In June, James Andrews, who performed the knee surgery, also told ESPN that Noel is ahead of recovery schedule, expressing confidence that the rookie prospect will be back stronger in the upcoming NBA season.

"We're really happy with his progress. He's several weeks ahead of schedule on his rehab. He's improving on a weekly basis. He has a completely stable knee," Andrews said in June before the 2013 NBA Draft.