Nerlens Noel missed his entire rookie year after suffering a torn ACL during his lone collegiate season. The 21-year-old former Kentucky star was selected sixth overall in the 2013 NBA draft by New Orleans, before being traded to Philadelphia. The 76ers, whose almost unprecedented rebuilding process has been both maligned and celebrated, are hoping that he can become another Anthony Davis or DeMarcus Cousins -- or Karl-Anthony Towns for that matter -- in the long line of stellar Kentucky big men.
The 6-foot-11 Noel, now healthy after a productive year averaging 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, is a key component to rebuilding a Philly franchise who most recently drafted yet another big man in Duke's Jahlil Okafor and who also learned it likely won't have former No. 3 pick Joel Embiid for the second consecutive season.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Also, please note that this interview was conducted before the news about Embiid's injury and before the 76ers drafted Okafor.
Athletes of all sports -- and young ones especially -- tend to want to work on their strengths more so than their weaknesses. How have you tried to avoid that since coming into the league?
I definitely feel like that is one of the most important things. You are playing against much better competition, there's going to be a demand where you have to do some things you're not comfortable with, and if you don't work on them, it's going to be that much more difficult when you're older.
With that in mind, what has been the biggest improvement to your game since becoming a pro?
Becoming a pro? I'd just say my shot. I think that's my biggest improvement. Spending a lot of time with it, my free throws, my form -- every little thing about it. It takes a lot of work, working with the same couple of people consistently. That's something you want very concentrated when you're changing your whole shot. It's not easy, because it's pretty easy to revert right back. It's a consistent thing you have to stay mindful of.
What was the dynamic, then, going from your rookie year to year two in terms of how you approach the game and also how you approach your offseason?
Definitely improve my shot. Then looking at tape and my body. Getting stronger and packing on some size. You know how physical the NBA is. Continue to work on the overall skill set, you know. I want to come back and improve statistically through every category I can. And just overall impact on the game, I want to be a complete, two-way player.
From your body perspective, where does the strength need to come from? Because you're already such a good and fluid athlete. Where does the strength need to come from for you to get to that next level or next two levels?
I think it just has to come on steadily. I think I just need to continuously add on five or ten pounds from year to year, you know. Adding muscle and size while being able to maintain my athleticism, and I think with my shot and being able to hit that 15-footer, that it would help me utilize that quickness. I think that will take my game to another level by having to have that first step on the bigger-sized centers and power forwards in this league.
In talking to point guards, I've learned that pick-and-roll is one of the hardest adjustments they have to make because of the decision-making and the speed of it at this level. As a big man, though, how hard is it to become comfortable all over the floor on both pick-and-roll and as a pick-and-pop guy?
Offensively?
I was going to start with offense and then go to defense, but if you could talk about both that would be great, particularly given the fact that you've played with multiple point guards already.
Offensively, it's a little different. You have to really learn how to really roll out of the screen and learn the timing, especially when you play with so many guys throughout the season. You have to learn the players that you're playing with and their tendencies. Playing with different point guards and learning what they like to go with, whether they do it a lot -- there's so many different things that come through it.
And defensively, I mean that's definitely a different type of thing too because you play with some guys like Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving that you really never know what's going to happen in a pick-and-roll. Then there's the more traditional point guards that you have to be more disciplined on. I think discipline is the most important thing because you can reach and try to cheat and mess up the point guard, but if you let the guy get a step behind you with the momentum of a roller, you know he's the best offensive rebounder in the gym, so you've got to keep up on him with all the momentum that he has going to the basket. Defensively, I think it's a little harder trying to read them, especially depending on who the point guard is.
What exactly are you looking for? What is the read? From an offensive standpoint, are you reading your point guard more or are you reading what the defensive big will do? And then on defense, are you reading the point guard more?
Well, we had a couple different defensive schemes through this year. We had me being up, then we had one with me being back. When it was me up on the screener, I'd always read the big guy and what angle he was setting the screen. You sort of get used to it in the NBA as the season goes along. If you're up on the screen, you push it towards the sideline and you wanna ice [or trap] it. That starts to become more of a natural call and you start to get a little more fluid, but you always want to be careful of the guys in back.
In watching the finals, we saw Cleveland jump the ball screen really high trying to force the ball out of Stephen Curry's hands. How difficult is it to do that from the big's perspective? Because now you're getting to a point -- even with you, who's very laterally quick -- where you're 25-30 feet away from the basket and I know no big wants to be that high.
You know it definitely is tough, it takes a lot of commitment and work. You have to stay up there and have a conscious effort of doing your best to contest the shot while staying in front of a smaller guy, especially with the abilities of Curry and being able to put the ball on the floor and shoot it with just a little bit of space. You just definitely have to have that weak side rotation so everyone's on the same page. You can work the advantage, but then again, it's a pretty tough thing to stop.
Is there somebody you look at and think, "His game is closest to me"? Or, "I can be like that guy"? Is there somebody you're trying to model yourself after while also maintaining your individuality?
Kevin Garnett is someone I looked up to growing up a lot. I think I'm a little different than him in some ways, but I think overall his game defensively and offensively -- I like to emulate his game.
In terms of your improvement, is it more about game experience, or tape? How much is it playing game experience versus watching and re-watching?
I think it's a lot of everything, really. I think playing is the No. 1 thing. Like I've said before about my year of sitting out, it's great to sit on the sidelines and learn, but there's no substitute for experience. I think that's something I learned this year as the season went along, after the break I felt a little more confident that I knew what the NBA game was about and I think I was in a better position of just really coming out and playing. Because you've been there before, you know? I had played in 30, 40 games or so, and then you understand what you have to work on, whether it's the little things like the types of shots you're going to get in games, so you take those, you rep those out, then you come back in year two and you're feeling even more confident.
How much weight do you think you've put on at this point since you were drafted?
I came in at about 215 and right now I'm 223, so I've put on about 8 pounds.
Is a lot of that functional strength, where you can feel it? Eight pounds isn't a lot of weight, but do you feel like it's made a positive difference for you?
Oh yeah, it's definitely made a big difference, even through the season. I put it on through this past season and you start to feel it, and your numbers go up as well. When I put on a few pounds this past season, I started playing a little better and I felt stronger and more confident going to the basket. So I think strength is a big issue in taking my game to a new level.
Is a lot of that the recovery as well? With the travel, the back-to-backs, not necessarily just playing?
What do you mean?
Well, getting stronger physically, I know it helps in the game. But how much does it help you recovery-wise when you're traveling, you're playing back-to-backs, to get your body stronger to take and endure the grueling nature of the NBA?
Definitely. I think that's the biggest part about getting stronger. It definitely helps to keep you healthy, and when you take a bang, you won't feel it as much when you're more solid. Taking bumps and bruises and having it not really affect you night in and night out.
What has been the hardest part for you going from winning so much at Kentucky to the losing in Philadelphia?
There has been some frustration at points, but I think we've just done such a great job of staying close-knit. We have a great group of young guys with a lot of common interest in the locker room, and I think we do a great job of complimenting each other on and off the court. There hasn't been hardly any animosity toward anybody; the coaches keep everybody close-knit as well.
When you look at Joel Embiid, what has your advice been to him? He's dealt with severe injury woes, as have you.
This past season, he was one of my great friends. Me and Joel have been very close since he's been in Philadelphia and I've always told him just stick to the work ethic, and he has. He's done a great job. Things happen and I think he'll be just fine with a little bit of time.
How lethal would you guys be -- especially defensively -- because we know you both can interchange playing the 4 and the 5?
I think we could be a nightmare. [We could be] dominant. I think the defense will speak for itself, but I think the offense as well as me and Joel continue to work on our jump shots. I heard Joel has a pretty nice touch now. I think as we continue to work on that we'll be able to be pretty dominant on both ends, especially with my passing ability. I think that's something that can be underrated as well -- look at Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and their relationship, I think [we] can be something crazy.
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