[ official ] 2016 summer moves

Watching him play. He gets pushed around down low, and doesn't have the foot speed to stay with perimeter guys. He seemed to start out like the defensive monster everyone thought he'd be, but last year, to me anyway, I saw a different player. Maybe it was the team, but they were pretty shitty both years, he had a 99 defensive rating in year 1, and that ballooned to 103 last season. Defensive win shares dropped from 4.2 to 2.8, and his defensive plus minus was down as well.

 

Why am I so frightened of Noel's durability/injury history? I don't remember what his injury was, but for whatever reason he's sticks out in my mind as the largest injury risk out there...and I don't know why that's all I think of when I think of Noel.

 

He dropped in the draft because he got injured in college. Don't watch this if you get queasy easily.

 

I agree with you on Noel's limited offensive game, in fact I'd call it EXTREMELY limited. The guy basically can't score beyond 3 feet from the basket, and that includes the FT line.

I disagree with your assessment of his defense. It's really the only reason he's in the NBA. He has great length and quick, active hands. He is the only player in the entire NBA to gave at least 100 steals and at least 100 blocks in the last two seasons - which is pretty impressive given that he's only played two seasons. The only other players who have had at least 100 steals and at least 100 blocks in either of the last two years are : Anthony Davis - 2014-15, Andre Drummond - 2014-15, Draymond Green - 2015-16, Paul Millsap - 2015-16. That's some pretty good company, and as I said, Noel did so in both 2014-15 and 2015-16.

His advanced defensive stats are also impressive. As a rookie playing on a crappy team, he was still 4th in the league in Defensive Box Plus/Minus and had the 8th best DRtg in the league. He was top 10 in both BLK% and STL%. This season he was 8th in the league in Defensive Box Plus/Minus.

Defensive is not his weakness, which you'd kind of expect for a guy whose nicknames are The Eraser and The Nerlen Wall.

That said, I agree with your overall assessment that he's a role player and unless he can very significantly upgrade his offense, that's what he will remain. He's basically a younger version of Ed Davis. His defensive is a little better than Ed's but Ed's offense and rebounding a better than Noel's. Noel is only an average rebounder for his size/position. And, as you mentioned, he will not create space on offense. In order to improve this team, we need two way players in our front court - players that contribute at both ends.

Guys like Davis and Noel are great coming off the bench, but we already have Davis and he wants to be here. What we really need is one, or more, front court starter that is above average at both offense and defense. That's why guys like Horford and Millsap are so appealing (and will be in such high demand).

I know you don't like Meyers, but having a big that can create space with his outside shot is pretty much a necessity in today's NBA. The advanced team stats show the Blazers performed significantly better with Meyers on the floor than without him. The way his shooting spreads the defense makes things so much easier for Dame and C.J. Too bad his defense isn't anywhere near what Noel's is. I suppose you could play Meyers and Noel together, with Meyers guarding the other team's center and Noel the PF and switching roles on the other end, but then you end up with two "specialists" in your starting front court. Like I said, I think the best way we can upgrade our roster is by landing at least one front court player who is above average at both ends.

BNM

 

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/52147/nba-insider-kevin-pelton

@mook?

 

Yeah, Davis wants to be here, and he knows his role. He's a keeper.

 

Great post. Thanks for that!

 

Quoting this to reference this weekend when I have time to try to put this list together.

 

Interesting that in 34 minutes he kinda flip-flopped on his opinion of POR/Biyombo.

 

Fucking Rocket fans... they're looking for a target to blame Harden not making the All-NBA teams, and some of them have set their sites on Dame.

 

And that's the problem with Biyombo. His complete lack of an offensive game makes him best suited to being a backup, but he will command starter money. He's a great role player, but like Plumlee and Davis, he's an incomplete player. He's a better defender than either Davis or Plumlee, but even worse on offense.

Given the way teams clamp down on Dame and C.J., especially in the playoffs, I really don't think we want to be playing 4 on 5 on the offensive end.

BNM

 

On the front page of ESPN nba site now.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...e-trades-involving-jahlil-okafor-nerlens-noel

 

What could we offer for either though?

 

S&T Crabbe + pick?

 

If you could merge Okafor and Noel into a single player, then you'd have something.

 

Gotta be a 3 way with BOS or DEN where we ship out Noah and someone else and PHI lands another lotto pick.

 

I would take Okafor.... but I'm sure it would cost CJ and I think that's too steep.

 

CJ isnt going anywhere everyone. You need to think of trade scenarios that dont include him We are not getting KD, or LBJ for him and those are the only players I think NO would release him for at this point.

Its all about Whiteside!!!!

 

We have a shot at whiteside. But ultimately i think we get howard.