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On his way to winning Rookie of the Year last season,
Michael Carter-Williams benefitted from the Sixers’ pace of play and increased
on-court opportunity. Now it is Nerlens Noel’s turn.
On Wednesday, the NBA released its first rookie rankings
since the season’s play started, and the sixth pick of the 2013 NBA Draft is slated
in the top spot.
Noel, who was right above Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins,
respectively, in the rankings, is looking to recreate what Blake Griffin did in
2011 when he was named Rookie of the Year after sitting the entirety of his
initial season with injury issues. From NBA.com:
“Two games with 10 rebounds, one with five,
and another with one board is a choppy start, but also typical rookie
inconsistency. It’s only a problem if it lasts. Besides, Noel has also had
three blocks in two of the outings, six steals and five assists one night, and
broke double digits in scoring twice.”
Noel’s advantage in the rookie race may be his ability to
fill up the stat sheet in several categories, just as his former AAU-teammate
Michael Carter-Williams did for the Sixers last season. While Noel’s offensive
production might not be as prolific as say Jabari Parker’s, the former Kentucky
Wildcat is able to impact the game in more ways.
Noel leads all rookies in blocks and steals per game
(interesting to note that fellow Sixer K.J. McDaniels is second in blocks per
game amongst all rookies), is second among all rookies in rebounding, and is
third in scoring behind Parker, and somewhat surprisingly, McDaniels.
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| Image from xxlmag.com |
Although he is heralded for his dedication to defense, Noel
has shown some slight improvement on the offensive end as well so far this
season, putting himself in position to score and even pulling out a somewhat
decent-looking little jumper. As Noel continues to get accustomed to the NBA
game and other impact players are inserted into the roster, starting with
Carter-Williams, his offensive statistics will likely only improve.
Noel is averaging 31.3 minutes per game thus far, a minute
behind rookie-leader Parker. Having such ample opportunity to play is a great
benefit to a developing young player like Noel. Without the immediate intention
to contend, teams like to Sixers and Bucks have the luxury of giving major
minutes to inexperienced players.
Assuming Noel’s play continues to grow and expand throughout
the season, he should have a solid shot at being the second consecutive Sixer
to be named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.
Bonus: Sixers
second-round selection also made an appearance on the Rookie Ladder at the
ninth spot. McDaniels is second. From NBA.com:
“The ability to score, the blocks as a wing,
the athleticism – this is why he was getting workouts deep into the first round
before the draft. McDaniels lasted until early in the second round, setting
Philadelphia up for a steal. Welcome to the early returns.”
The full rankings can be seen here.
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