Even with some eligibility questions still swirling around Nerlens Noel, there’s no reason to think there will be any long-term problems for him.
That’s why I asked Draftexpress.com’s Matt Kamalsky what kind of expectations he feels would be realistic for the player many are going to continue comparing to Anthony Davis, who had one of the most special seasons ever in college basketball last year.
“I expect Noel to have to deal with an undeservedly challenging set of expectations in the shadow of Anthony Davis, who is an unfair comparison for him at this point,” Kamalsky said. “In his own right, Noel can be an terrific defensive player thanks to his ability to block shots. He's going to benefit from playing for (John) Calipari, who will inevitably be able to get him to compete on that end of the floor every game.
“A college strength and conditioning program should help him become a more capable one-on-one defender in the post and consistent attention from the staff will hopefully improve his comfort level defending big men who want to face the rim away from the basket. He has the ability to make an impact on that end of the floor, but it may take him some time to consistently make the most of his talents.”
Kamalsky has an interesting perspective on what could determine just how big a role offensively that Noel plays.
“Noel's success offensively, and in my opinion, Kentucky's championship hopes, are going to have a lot to do with how well Ryan Harrow handles the point guard position. Harrow is a dynamic player with his creativity off the bounce, and if he strikes a good balance between being a facilitator and being a scorer, he could make Noel's life a lot easier, especially against quality competition,” Kamalsky said. “Noel is a very good finisher, and has nice body control in the air for how skinny he is, but his post game and shooting ability are both works in progress. The more defensive movement Harrow creates in the dribble drive, the less regularly Noel will have to make plays out of his current comfort zone.”
And where does he have Noel on his 2013 draft radar?
“Noel remains among the top prospects in this class until he proves otherwise in a legitimate setting. Personally, I never saw him as unquestionably the top prospect for the 2013 draft, but some folks still feel he's the top guy heading into the season,” Kamalsky said.
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