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Sixers' Brown encourages Noel to play like Mutombo, Biyombo

Raj Mehta / USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown sees some similarities between one of his centers and two well-known shot-blockers.

Brown likens Nerlens Noel's abilities to those of Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo and Orlando Magic big Bismack Biyombo.

"Nerlens has got elite gifts," Brown told Keith Pompey of Philly.com. "He's as athletic and quick off the floor and quick rim to rim as anyone that I’ve coached, as any big man in the league."

The bench boss believes Noel should be - and will be rewarded for - running from rim to rim, protecting the paint, and getting easy points around the hoop.

The 22-year-old, who stands at 6-feet-11 and has a 7-foot-4 wingspan, averaged 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks in his sophomore campaign in 2015-16.

He shot 54.5 percent from within two feet of the basket, with his accuracy getting significantly worse the farther out he shoots (starting with an ugly 22.8 percent clip from between three and nine feet).

Keeping in mind those abysmal numbers from distance, Brown doesn't want to see Noel taking jumpers.

"Personally, I don't care if he ever makes a jump shot for the rest of his life," he said. "I mean that. That's not how his bread is buttered."

If the former lottery pick does indeed embrace that role, he may eventually get permission from Mutombo to do his signature finger wag following big swats.

Or, if he's lucky, he won't need Mutombo's blessing, a la Biyombo.

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