Detroit Pistons season preview: Nerlens Noel is in Detroit to protect the paint and to be Jalen Duren’s ‘Looper’

It’s been a kind of wild road for professional basketball player Nerlens Noel since he entered the NBA in the 2013 draft. ESPN’s No. 1 prospect, Noel showed off advanced defensive abilities and instincts during his lonely year in Kentucky. British single game record of 12 blocks in January’s performance against ole missA few weeks later, Noel’s college career ended when his ACL was torn against Florida in February.

Noel was estimated to be the first pick of 2013 NBA Draft Before his injury, he was still considered the odds-on favourite. cleveland cavaliers I made it to the podium.Instead, the Cavaliers infamously selected his UNLV forward Anthony Bennett, leaving Noel Dropped to the draft board before finally being picked 6th overall by new orleans pelicans.

In exchange for draft rights to Drew Holiday and Pierre Jackson, Noel Traded to Philadelphia 76ers on draft night, where he will begin his NBA career. Noel will miss his entire rookie season recovering from his knee surgery. He eventually made his debut during his 2014-15 NBA season and in 75 games he averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.9 blocks a game and was named to his team as an NBA All-Rookie First. rice field.

It’s been an uphill road since his encouraging rookie year.As Joel Embiid established himself as a future 76ers big, his star faded a bit and Noel Traded from Philadelphia to Dallas During the 2016-17 season.After an injury-ridden stint with the Mavericks, he oklahoma city thunderwhere he was able to play in 77 and 61 games during his two years with the organization, but never exceeded 20 minutes per game.

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Noel signs for 2020 One-year deal with New York Knickshe was a defensive fixture on a team that ranked in the top 10 in NBA-wide ERA. 3-year, $32 million deal with KnicksHe played just 25 games in the first year of that deal, and the Knicks gave him detroit pistons To open up enough salary space for the team to sign Jalen Brunson.

fit for detroit

when the news broke it Noel and Alec Burks were being transported from New York to Detroit, many Pistons fans assumed were salary dumps like Kemba Walker with significant draft assets to Detroit. tied. Essentially, Troy Weaver was free agent shopping on the trade market.

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A multi-position defender who can hit 3s, it was clear how easy Burks would fit into Detroit. Noel’s role in Detroit was a little darker, with Detroit’s frontcourt already including Isaiah his Stewart, Marvin He Bagley, Kelly Olynyk and rookie Jalen his Durren, while the Pistons have his position at center. Perfect for his 5 players. This was a dream come true for Troy Weaver, Notorious Center Fanatic – It brought up some questions about the Pistons’ next rotation.

These questions have gotten a bit resolved in the last few weeks, mainly because Deal Detroit sent Olynyk and Saven Lee to Utah in exchange for veteran marksman Bojan BogdanovicThe trade made it clearer what role Noel would play in Detroit, with the Pistons’ apparent intention to run Stewart and Bagley in the power forward position. knee injury During the Pistons’ preseason game against the Thunder on October 11, Noel’s services suddenly felt the need for more.

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It’s easy to understand what Detroit will ask Noel to do on the floor, but it’s less clear how often they will ask Noel to do so. I thought Noel could be a mean candidate to start at center. If the Pistons choose to start the season with Bogdanovic and Sadiq Bey in the forward positions, Noel makes a lot of sense as a rim protector and glass cleaner in their lineup, but this would include head coach Dwayne Casey. drops him as a defender.

With the current “switch everything” defensive scheme, Casey seems intent on sticking around, making Stewart much more likely to start the season as the starting center. Nonetheless, there are no signs of Stewart moving to the bench anytime soon, and Noel is working to return from a foot injury that hampered the final two months of the season. At first, it is highly likely that he will return from the bench as a backup center.

Know Your Role, Nerlens Noel

Noel’s role on the court should look similar to what has been called for throughout his NBA career. It’s about protecting paint, crashing boards, setting picks and catching lobs. Easy enough for a veteran who spent nine years perfecting his craft. But Nerlens Noel’s job description this season goes far beyond his on-court duties. As DBB’s own Lazarus Jackson eloquently said, Hardwood Knocks Recent Podcasts:

“Nerlens’ main goal is to be like Jalen Duren’s ‘looper’. Drag him around and say, “I used to be like you, don’t be like me!”

Although Raz has identified Noel’s firing of his agent shortly before he was restricted from free agency as one of the ways Duren learned how not to be like Noel (good call, Raz), Noel once said he was a Noel. really has some veteran wisdom to pass on to Durren, as did. In Duren’s position as a young player with a similar skill set trying to find his way in the league.

Weaver believes he saw this as a plus when trading Noel, and starting his career behind a more polished veteran in Durren and letting him show the ropes will accelerate his growth. It seems like the ideal method. Absorbing as much insight as possible from Noel is in Durren’s best interest, as few people know the intricacies of protecting the rim at the NBA level, let alone Noel. If Noel is healthy, he will certainly be a vital part of the NBA rotation, but this is the single most important way he can provide value to the Pistons this season.

Having Düren under his guidance isn’t the only way Noel can help the Pistons’ future. The Pistons’ young core wants to make a play-in run this season, but early speculation is that Detroit could be a seller when the trade deadline comes. has a veteran that competing teams could covet. The organization asserts that youngsters are better surrounded by talented veterans, which is true, but Weaver wouldn’t object to flipping veteran talent for future assets at the trade deadline. .

Both Burks and Bogdanovic have valuable skill sets for competing teams, but Noel is the player most likely to ship by the deadline, in my opinion. Opponents his GM is unlikely to have forgotten how effective Noel was as a cog in his 2020-21 Knicks defense. If he can successfully put together a healthy basketball for the Pistons, he should be coveted by competing teams that lack rim protection. and Detroit could tip Noel for some goodies when the time comes.

In general, Noel’s roles on this young Pistons team are three-fold.

1. Be a role model for young players, take Jalen Duren specifically under his umbrella, and show him the details of what it means to be a talented young big man in the NBA.
2. Providing consistent production and a consistent veteran presence on the court whenever required
3. Get Healthy, Stay Healthy, and Rebuild Trade Value with On-Court Producing

It’s reasonable to assume that both Noel and the Pistons Organization have a mutual understanding that Noel is here to have a good time, not for a long time. This should be perfectly fine for both parties. But that doesn’t mean he can’t provide value for his time at the organization.

In the short term, the Pistons need him on the court. Bagley’s injury is a big blow and Duren isn’t ready to take the full load out of the gate. Longer term, Noel could make an impact by guiding Duren and other rookies, and could bring additional assets to the Pistons by rebuilding his value and being shipped to contenders. There is a possibility

Buying Noel was a low-risk move, but it could be a big win for both sides.