SALT LAKE CITY – Sitting out for an entire season offered an easy excuse for frustration to overtake Nerlens Noel. The third-year Sixers forward never let a lost year turn into a lost opportunity.
Knee surgery sidelined Noel during the 2013-14 season and he used that time to prepare himself mentally for the rigors of the NBA. Now in his third season with the club, Noel feels like the work he put in at that time is pushing his career in a positive direction in the present.
“I was always motivated,” Noel said. “I wanted to come back strong and feel confident. I definitely always found ways to motivate myself.”
Noel has made steady progress on the defensive end. Heading into tonight's game against Utah, he is averaging 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Noel has led the team in rebounding 15 times and steals 13 times this season.
The 6-foot-11 center had finished with 10 or more rebounds in nine games this season and has tallied eight double-doubles.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said that Noel's progress has been handicapped by switching positions. He has gone from playing at the five to playing at the four with Jahlil Okafor in the mix. It has forced Noel to make adjustments on how he does things at both ends of the court.
“He's made the most sacrifices of anybody on this team,” Brown said. “Losing has been hard and his progression has been a little bit slow. But his spirit hasn't wavered at all. He's fantastic.”
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Noel's ability to stay positive in the face of adversity is rooted in rehabbing from injuries that first season. He had to learn the game from a different angle than simply being thrown into the fire and gaining knowledge through experience.
It definitely influenced his progression last season. Noel averaged 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his rookie campaign. He was excited to finally put everything into practice that sat on the shelf for a year.
“There's no better teacher than experience,” Noel said. “If you have to be in the game and feel it for yourself. Last year was a great year for that.”
Noel could take a huge step forward with the return of point guard Ish Smith. When the two were paired together late last season, Noel's offensive numbers improved dramatically. Last March, in his first full month with Smith at the point, Noel averaged 14.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 2.1 blocks per contest.
The Sixers are hoping for a similar blossoming this time around. For his part, Noel is excited to have Smith at the controls of the offense again.
He believes Smith opens up the offense with his leadership and experience and, most importantly, the speed which he plays at from wire to wire.
“He brings the pace,” Noel said. “You see how quick and fast he is and how much he likes to bring a lot of tempo to the game. That helps us get going.”
Noel's initial reunion game with Smith offered a glimpse of why he is so excited. He scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and collected 11 rebounds to help the Sixers beat Phoenix 111-104.