Nerlens Noel was being told for weeks that he was the top prospect in the NBA Draft. Numerous experts had him No. 1 overall, likely to be taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving Kentucky back-to-back No. 1 draft picks. Yet on Thursday night, the No. 1 pick came and went and Noel is still sitting in the green room. More picks passed before Noel was finally drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans and then promptly traded to Philadelphia. The rookie intends on revenge.
It was not the draft Noel has planned on. Finally drafted with the sixth pick, Noel smiled for the cameras, saying how excited he was to team up with former Kentucky star, Anthony Davis. "I'm just happy to be with the Pelicans," Noel said.
30 minutes later, Noel's time with New Orleans came to a close. He was officially traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jru Holiday and a future draft pick. He looked confused, but positive after being overlooked by several teams. Noel simply said, "Oh yeah, I'm going to make them pay."
John Calipari was the first to say how much teams would regret passing up on Noel. Despite suffering a season-ending ACL tear on Feb. 12, the Kentucky head coach believed Noel would end up being one of the most dominant players in the league. It appears not too many teams bought into that idea.
Noel is already in the recovery process. He moved to Birmingham, Ala. to work with physical therapist Kevin Wilk. The doctor declared Noel ahead of schedule, as the center targets November as his return date to basketball. Noel met with team doctors from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards to get medically cleared. It was assumed that he would not fall out of the top three on draft night.
Noel certainly brings a defensive presence to the 76ers. He will be a challenge to opponents with his size, but his offensive abilities are what hurt his draft stock. Many view his shooting abilities as severely limited. He scores more on hustle and activity level rather than on skill set.
Noel admits that if he were healthy last year, he would have considered staying in school for one more year, but the opportunity of the NBA presented itself and he was not going to pass it up. When he gets back on the court, revenge will be his priority as well as becoming a more polished played.
