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As the likely NBA Rookie of the Year, Michael
Carter-Williams’ act will be a tough one for next season’s Sixers’ rookies to
follow.
Carter-Williams came to the Sixers with relatively low
expectations; a luxury that whoever the Sixers land in the lottery won’t enjoy.
Considering the hype of the draft class, and the already-laid label of ‘Sixers
savior’, the Sixers’ rookie(s) next season will feel some pressure to perform.
Although we do not know who the Sixers will land in the
lottery, we do know of one player who will be making his NBA debut with the
Sixers next season: Nerlens Noel.
Noel, who was selected sixth overall in the 2013 NBA Draft,
missed the entire 2013-14 season due to injury issues, and thus will be
considered a rookie during the upcoming 2014-15 season.
Noel, who was traded to the Sixers on draft day for the
popular and productive, albeit not always efficient Jrue Holiday, is one player
that will be under pressure to perform.
Holiday, who had picked up popularity coming off of an
all-star selection, was a known production piece.
Noel, on the other hand,
remains an unknown, especially after sitting an entire season. After having
nothing to show for trading another all-star in Andre Iguodala the year before,
Sixers fans want to see production, proving that Holiday wasn’t just handed
away, a la Iguodala.
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| Image from Philly.com |
Noel, who spent his entire sidelined season bulking up and
restructuring his shot, is itching for some action, and his chance to show
Sixer fans what he can do.
“I haven’t played a competitive game in over a year,” Noel told the Intelligencer’s Tom Moore during Sixers breakup day last
Thursday. “I’m definitely itching to get
back out and get the feeling of the game back and be out there balling.”
When Noel finally does make his return to the hardwood, he
feels that his former AAU teammate Michael Carter-Williams, and the success he
had with the Sixers this season, will ease his transition, and help him get
acclimated with the NBA game and the league at large.
“I think Michael [Carter-Williams] definitely will be able
to help me as I come back,” Noel stated.
“Just to show me a couple of the little things that you
really need to be on the court to experience.”
The likely Rookie of the Year agreed with the assessment.
“I think it takes some of the pressure off of him,”
Carter-Williams stated, referring to success he experienced this season.
“He’s coming in and is going to play his part. A big part of
his game is going to be off his teammates, especially off me,” Carter-Williams
continued. “I’m definitely going to do everything I can to help him out. As he
keeps developing his game, I can help him out along the way.”
Carter-Williams for one, is not concerned about the pressure
Noel will face, or how he will handle it.
“He’s not going to have too much pressure. He’s going to go
in there, play defense, rebound, score the ball, and do the things he needs to
do. He’ll be great.”
It’s nice for Noel to have the confidence and support of the
Sixers. The center said that he plans to play a lot of pickup ball this
offseason, in addition to summer league play, and to continue to add some size.
“I’m going to continue to work out and eat as much as I
can.”
Hopefully Noel has more success with this approach than
Kwame Brown did.
In all actuality, it will be extremely exciting for the
Sixers to get the explosive Noel out on the court, and to see exactly how he
can contribute to the future of the franchise. Noel has the potential to
develop into a special player, and coupling him with Carter-Williams, and two
looming lottery picks creates a promising picture for the Sixers.
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