The Sixers signed their top two draft picks, including sixth overall pick Nerlens Noel.

Center may not miss entire season after all

Will he or won’t he?

That’s the question everyone is asking about Sixers top draft pick Nerlens Noel. On Monday, coach Brett Brown indicated that the 7-footer would probably miss the entire 2013-14 season. Two days later, maybe not.

Brown wasn’t totally backtracking on his initial comments. He just wanted to clarify that the team isn’t going to make any hasty decisions on a guy they are banking on to become a centerpiece for years to come.

“The club will make a responsible decision on his future and who knows what direction that will go,” Brown told reporters. “In the meantime, nobody really knows what’s going to happen. We hope he can come back.”

Noel had been considered ahead of schedule on his rehab from a torn ACL and a December return date had been thrown out there. The Sixers just want to be cautious.

“The decision is going to be made by people a lot smarter than me,” Brown said. “It’s done with doctors … who knows what’s going to happen with Nerlens?”