Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 reasons Nerlens Noel is a good risk

3. Size

The Thunder need a good backup for Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel can be just that. Last season, he averaged a measly 4.4 points and 5.6 rebounds, but remember that he only played 15.7 minutes per game as he was buried on the Mavericks bench.

In his first two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, he actually came close to averaging a double-double, posting 10.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He also averaged 1.8 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. If he can get anywhere near that kind of production for the Thunder, then this deal will be a success.

With the Mavericks, Noel barely played because he didn’t fit into their system. Noel is more of a traditional center, and the Mavs liked to go small a lot with Dirk Nowitzki at the 5 and Harrison Barnes at the 4.

However, with the Thunder there is plenty of room for a traditional big man. Noel should expect to get a decent chunk of the minutes while Steven Adams in on the bench, and he should have a much better chance to thrive under head coach Billy Donovan’s more traditional system.

Noel should be able to carve out a meaningful role on the Thunder rotation next season. He has shown flashes of what made him the sixth overall pick in the draft back in 2013. He just needs to get some confidence back and find his rhythm.