Dallas Mavericks: 5 goals for Nerlens Noel in 2017-18

5. Average a double-double

Nerlens Noel is entering his fourth season in the NBA. Up until this season, he’s averaging 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. After turning down a lucrative offer for more, he’s set the bar a bit higher in 2017-18.

He’ll need to average a double-double this season for the Mavericks if he hopes to change his fortunes this year. His shooting percentage dropped a bit when he joined the Dallas roster. He shot 57.5 percent from the field with the Mavericks and 61.1 percent from the field with Philadelphia.

Noel recorded three double-doubles in 2016-17, two of them coming with Dallas. His numbers fluctuated a bit with the Mavericks. Hopefully, a full offseason of work has helped him get acclimated to their style of play.

He’s got 34 double-doubles so far in his career. If there are more to come in 2017-18, he’ll be doing himself a favor in the long run.