Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia 76ers made two moves prior to the trade deadline last week, sending Ersan Ilyasova to the Hawks before dealing Nerlens Noel to the Mavericks. While the Ilyasova deal made sense, fans are still scratching their heads over the Noel trade that netted the Sixers just two second round picks. Both of the former Sixers suited up for their new teams over the weekend.
Noel is expected to develop into the starting center for the Mavericks. He came off the bench in his debut on Saturday and played 30 minutes in Dallas' 96-83 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Nerlens shot just 3-for-9 from the floor, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds, but was very active on the pick-and-roll, which helped Dirk Nowitzki get wide open on some plays.
“It’s really interchangeable with Dirk and Harrison being as versatile as they are, and I’m able to switch some things up defensively,” Noel said. “Just being able to open some things up for the guys on the pick-and-roll is something I take pride in.” [Mavs.com]
The Mavs have been faring pretty well with Dirk as their starting center, but head coach Rick Carlisle knows Noel will end up in that role.
"Noel's going to be the starting center here," Carlisle said, in reference to the future, not necessarily the rest of this season. "I do think he'll get some starts this year. I just can't tell you when or how frequently or exactly how it's going to go. That's the truth." [ESPN.com]
Noel and the Mavs host the Heat on Monday night in Dallas.
Meanwhile, Ersan Ilyasova joined the Hawks at the end of last week, his third team this season and fifth in the last 20 months. Despite that situation, the veteran forward seemed eager to join a playoff contender for the remainder of the season.
“It is what it is,” Ilyasova said Friday after his first practice with the Hawks. “That is part of the business. I see it as an opportunity. It’s a really good opportunity for me as far as being on a great team, being in a great situation, being a part of a playoff run. When I was in Philly, we just looked at the end of the season. Now, you change your goals. We are chasing the playoffs and a better spot.” [AJC.com]
Ilyasova played in both games of the Hawks' back-to-back this weekend, losses to the Heat and Magic. Ersan struggled offensively, shooting 3-for-7 against Miami and 2-for-9 against the Magic. Although he only scored five points against Orlando, Ilyasova managed 10 rebounds and two assists. For a guy who seemed to shoot anywhere between four and eight three's per night in Philadelphia, he only took three over his first two games with Atlanta.
The Hawks are in Boston on Monday night for a match-up with the second seeded Celtics.
