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The longest countdown since the final episode of TRL soldiers on, and in the latest edition of the ESPN #NBARank project, Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel slides into the rankings at No. 102.
"@ESPNNBA: #NBArank 102: Nerlens Noel (@NerlensNoel3). http://t.co/8B0Y5Mzl04 pic.twitter.com/x3HlV2nVJC" is he even 110pounds?
— #SIXBURGHSTEELERS (@DoloMinded) October 3, 2014
#NBARank is ESPN and TrueHoop's attempt at predicting the overall contribution for each player in the league during the 2014-15 season. For reference purposes, Noel is essentially tied with Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Dion Waiters (No. 101), and is rated a few notches above players such as Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (No. 104), Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson (No. 106), and Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Andrew Wiggins (No. 114).
Noel was slotted at 221 on last year's NBA Rank list, didn't play a second of competitive basketball, and jumped up 119 spots. Go figure.
400 players in, and we've yet to see the name of one Michael Carter-Williams, who was snubbed from SI.com's Top 100 NBA Players of 2015 list (Sport Magazine is better, anyway). To recap, here's a list of notable Sixers and their rankings:
??? - Michael Carter-Williams (No. 1, probably)
102 - Nerlens Noel
255 - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
264 - Alexey Shved
289 - Tony Wroten
345 - Jason Richardson
385 - Arnett Moultrie
395 - K.J. McDaniels
398 - Joel Embiid
407 - Henry Sims
420 - Hollis Thompson
427 - Jarvis Varnado
439 - Elliot Williams
468 - Brandon Davies
469 - Jerami Grant
Unranked - Keith Bogans
Where do you think Carter-Williams ultimately ends up?