76ers' Nerlens Noel: May not be ready for opener

Sixers coach Brett Brown indicated Saturday that he doesn't expect Noel (groin) to be ready for the regular-season opener Oct. 26 against the Thunder, Jessica Camerato of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Analysis:

The 76ers haven't offered much word on the severity of Noel's groin strain, but with the big man sitting out the last five preseason contests, it looks like it's a more serious situation than the team anticipated. While Noel and Jahlil Okafor (knee) have been sidelined for most of the preseason, Joel Embiid has solidified himself as the stating center, while Dario Saric looks to be in pole position for the top role at power forward. Okafor is also further along in his recovery than Noel, who could end up settling in as the 76ers' fourth big man once he's finally cleared to return to the court. That sort of role likely won't yield an abundance of minutes, and Noel's production figures to suffer as a result.