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

1. Potential

Nerlens Noel has been bad over his four seasons in the league. Really, really bad. But he also hasn’t had a wealth of good opportunities. In his first season in the NBA, he got injured. When he recovered, he found himself stuck in the logjam at the center position in Philadelphia for the next two years.

Then in Dallas, he was buried on the bench on a team that played a style that didn’t fit with him. And then of course, there was the latest Noel scandal earlier this year when he was suspended for a drug violation.

Now he is finally healthy and is set to embark on a new adventure with a new team. He will get a second chance — or a third chance, depending on how you want to look at it.

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Either way, you could argue that Noel hasn’t actually had a real chance at success in this league yet. He needs some consistency around him to be able to get a rhythm and find his identity as a player. His time in Oklahoma City should allow him to do just that. There is a lot of potential inside of Noel, and it’s not too late to unlock it.