There were more than a few exciting rookies to watch in the NBA
Summer League debut of the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers. Players such
as Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon of the Magic, and K.J. McDaniels of the Sixers
played in their first Summer League games. But the most anticipated player of
the day was rail thin Sixer big man Nerlens Noel, who had sat out all of last
season due to a torn ACL.
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| NBA.com |
It's safe to say he has recovered from his
injury. Noel did not fail to live up to expectations. He scored 19 points and
was a pest defensively, interrupting passing lanes and affecting shots for what
seemed like the entire game. There was one play in which Magic guard Victor Oladipo did a nice crossover move only to have the ball poked away by Noel. Analyst and former NBA player Kendall Gill claimed that Oladipo could have gotten away with that move against almost anyone except Noel. He showed that he can rack up the steals almost as quickly as he accumulates blocks.
Not only were Noel's stats impressive, but he managed to get them at a very efficient rate, taking only 11 shots and draining six of them. While some of his layups and post moves were forced and very awkward looking, he displayed good footwork and athleticism, and drew his fair share of fouls. He shot 7-7 from the foul line, making it clear that he is not afraid to draw contact despite his wiry frame. He even took a semi-hard fall at one point and got up pretty quickly, showing that he is not fragile from his ACL tear.
Not only were Noel's stats impressive, but he managed to get them at a very efficient rate, taking only 11 shots and draining six of them. While some of his layups and post moves were forced and very awkward looking, he displayed good footwork and athleticism, and drew his fair share of fouls. He shot 7-7 from the foul line, making it clear that he is not afraid to draw contact despite his wiry frame. He even took a semi-hard fall at one point and got up pretty quickly, showing that he is not fragile from his ACL tear.
While he was tough and willing to bang
bodies with Orlando's front line, he only managed to grab a few rebounds. He
was outworked on the glass by Orlando's young bigs such as Gordon, Kadeem
Batts, Dwayne Dedmon, and Romero Osby. However, this was just one game, and he
will most likely be more aggressive on the boards going forward.
Noel also pleasantly surprised spectators
with his passing ability from the elbows. Twice he found the open man cutting
to the block for an easy two points. Noel’s ability to pass will be crucial when playing alongside the newly drafted center Joel Embiid, who will greatly
benefit from being able to receive interior passes from the elbows. Embiid sat
out this game because of his back and foot injuries, and will likely remain out
until next season.
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