Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 goals for Nerlens Noel in 2018-19

3. Play great defense

This should not be hard for Noel, who has averaged a block a game every season except last year, when he finished just short at 0.9 blocks per game. For the Thunder this season, he will have to man the middle when Steven Adams needs a rest.

The team was worse on defense when Adams was out of the game and there was not a person on the roster that could stuff the middle like him when he needed a breather.

With Noel on the team, the Thunder will have a defensive stopper in the middle for the second unit.

In his rookie season, Noel posted 1.9 blocks per game and he followed that up with 1.5 blocks per game the next season. Those are the highest averages of his career, and he will need to go back to those days while with the Thunder.

This season, Noel will have the opportunity to play an important role for OKC as a backup big and will be able to impact the game on the defensive end of the floor.