The Philadelphia 76ers were favored for the first time all season against the New York Knicks, and lived up to Vegas’ expectations with a 97-81 win. Plays like this from Nerlens Noel are the main reason why.
The 6-11 rookie played perhaps his best game of the season versus New York on Friday, and made his typical impact on the defensive end with five blocks and three steals – including this epic block on Lou Amundson. But Noel but made hay on more than just the side of the ball for which he’s best known, scoring a career-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting and pulling down 14 rebounds.
Noel won’t win Rookie of the Year, but there’s an argument to be made that he’s been the best first-year player since the All-Star break. The Kentucky product has averaged 12.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, and a mind-bending 2.4 steals and 2.5 blocks per contest in Philly’s last 15 games – not counting Friday’s standout effort.
He might not ever star the way casual fans expect, but Noel is well on his way to becoming a full-blown impact player. Guys that protect the rim, play passing lanes, and corral pick-and-rolls are few and far between, and the 20 year-old supplements that ability with growing offensive comfort.
Noel, in other words, is going to very, very good – if he isn’t already.
[Vine via Sixers]
