NBA Draft: 5 rookies who will have the greatest impact
By Seth Partnow
Nerlens Noel
At both Orlando and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, Noel showed why he was such a highly rated defensive prospect before tearing his ACL during his one season at Kentucky. Still, for his defense alone, Noel will prove to have been worth the wait after sitting out 2013-14 to rehab that knee injury.
His ability to block shots was expected. What has been surprising so far has been his ability to create turnovers on the perimeter with quick feet and quicker hands. Joking speculation in Las Vegas was that he was so good, Philly might be looking for mysterious injuries to hold him out of games, lest their finely-laid plans for another high draft pick in 2015 go awry.
On the offensive side of the ball, “work-in-progress” is kind to Noel. He has the physical skills in those same quick feet and soft hands, and his ball-handling ability isn’t atrocious. But beyond that, his favored offensive move this summer was a 10 foot, one-handed floater that would be more appropriate for a crafty, Tony Parker-like guard than for a long-armed, seven-foot tall monster.