Nerlens Noel plays extended minutes in Nets debut: ‘Tonight was the night’

Cam Thomas minutes and Nerlens Noel minutes are not mutually exclusive.

It was a question head coach Jacque Vaughn answered after Brooklyn’s third straight victory on Tuesday night in Houston. Thomas — the lightning rod scorer who has been Vaughn’s first player off the bench in the games that followed the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline — sat on the bench while Noel played an extended role as backup big man one day after signing a 10-day contract in Brooklyn.

“Yeah he [Cam] could easily play 30 minutes two nights from now. So, doesn’t change my ability to put him on the floor at any time of the game,” Vaughn said postgame. “I think tonight, I wanted to see could Nerlens play in a basketball game and contribute and be able to pick up what we’re doing as a group, alter shots, see his quickness, see if he could protect the rim.

“So I needed to see that tonight, and he is on a 10-day, so I decided to use one of those 10 days pretty quickly to see what he was gonna give us. So tonight was the night.”

Noel, the veteran rim protector and former No. 6 overall pick who played in 14 games for the Detroit Pistons before becoming a free agent in February, played 18 minutes off the bench in his first game in Brooklyn after signing a 10-day deal — an extended run Vaughn attributed partially to starting center Nic Claxton’s early foul trouble.

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He finished with two points, three rebounds and one steal on the night and showed quick feet, active hands and a 6-11 frame that can be helpful for a Nets team that has needed to address depth at the center position all season.

“In the back of my mind, I wanted to see where he was at,” Vaughn said. “Obviously didn’t play Cam Thomas tonight because of that. So didn’t want to go too far into the rotation. Really just supplemented Nerlens for Cam.”

Vaughn said the addition of Noel provides more options for a Nets team with one of the more versatile defensive rosters in all of basketball. With Ben Simmons (left knee/back inflammation) out since the All-Star break, Vaughn used Dorian Finney-Smith as the backup center.

“[We] kept Do-Do away from the five position tonight to see what that looks like,” he said. “If we were still bigger, we could play Royce [O’Neale] with Do and another big at the same time. So, gave me a chance to look at some things while giving Nerlens some minutes.”

For what it’s worth, Noel was already excited about his new team’s defensive potential — and his fit on the roster, even if it’s temporary.

Speaking to reporters in Houston after shootaround Tuesday morning, Noel expressed optimism when discussing his new opportunity.

He also believes he’s the cherry on top for what has the makings to become one of the NBA’s most formidable defenses.

“This is already a Top 10 defense I’m pretty sure, especially with what they have,” Noel said on Tuesday. “So I’m going to put it over the top. And however coach sees fit into what position he wants to put me in, I’ll accept regardless.”

Noel’s role is simple: In order to earn a second 10-day contract and potentially a spot on a playoff roster if the Nets retain their standing as a top-eight seed in the East, he must out-play second-year center Day’Ron Sharpe, whose roller-coaster ride of a season has sent Brooklyn searching for other options as his position.

Noel appeared in 14 games for the Detroit Pistons this season and averaged 2.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in about 11 minutes of play per game. He has averaged at least one steal and one block per game in a season six times in his eight-year NBA career.

Noel, who went to the then-New Orleans Pelicans with the sixth-overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and was subsequently moved in a draft-night deal, has some of the defensive versatility that allows starting center Claxton to thrive in a switching defense.

Noel’s addition, however, is an indictment on Sharpe, who is averaging just under four points and four rebounds per game in 35 games played this season. Sharpe’s scoring and rebounding averages have both noticeably declined despite only seeing his average playing time reduce by two minutes.

The second-year big man did not play against the Rockets on Tuesday.

It’s also worth noting Noel sued mega sports agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Group for advising him to reject a five-year, $70M contract offer from the Dallas Mavericks and take a one-year deal instead. That decision quickly became known as one of the bigger bag fumbles in recent NBA history as the lofty payday he sought never materialized. Noel settled his legal battle with Paul — who represents Simmons — in January and paid Klutch $200,000: their cut from the $5M deal he signed with the Knicks.

Noel and Simmons were on the 76ers roster together during the 2016-17 season, but Simmons missed the entire season due to a foot injury, and Noel was traded to the Mavericks 29 games into the season.

This is Noel’s second stint in New York after playing for the Knicks from 2020 through 2022. Asked what excited him about being back in the city, the new Nets center said: “Energy! The energy. New York is passionate about what they bring, what they’re about. And I’ve known that, and I love it. Period.”