Last night, the Sixers came up short once again, falling to the Houston Rockets, 104-93. One of the top stories leading into the game was that Henry Sims was fighting an upper respiratory infection, likely leading to Nerlens Noel starting opposite All-Star center, Dwight Howard. If Noel plans to be the type of player the Rockets star is, he learned plenty last night while spending most of the game covering him.
While Howard had the clear advantage, outweighing the Sixers rookie by a good 35 pounds, Noel made the former Defensive Player of the Year work hard in the paint. Noel's efforts, despite grabbing just one rebound, caught the attention of his coach. Here is some of Brett Brown's thought's along with Noel on facing such a dominant NBA big man.
Quick notes: Nerlens Noel finished yesterday's game going 5-for-8 from the floor for ten points. The rookie grabbed one rebound, but contributed with five assists, six steals and a block that was good enough to earn him NBA.com's Block of the Night. Dwight Howard scored 11 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and added four blocks. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Nerlens Noel is the first rookie to start at center and record 10 points, 6 steals, and 5 assists in a game since 1976.
Brett Brown on Noel's overall performance:
“I think he deserves a lot of praise,” head coach Brett Brown said. “He had to front Dwight Howard and make him work and for him to run the floor and show personality and a level of passion, that’s what I think this city will end up falling in love with. He had six steals and five assists, which is really good. He was in the game.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Brett Brown on Noel's one rebound:
“When you’re leaning on people so much trying to box out and playing in front of people, [Noel] doesn’t have the luxury of being a free safety and chasing balls,” Brown said. “Maybe when he starts to get bigger and learns the NBA and the angles of shots you can say, ‘Nerlens, don’t worry about blocks. Just go out and chase balls. You’re a 6-foot-11 athlete.’ I think the tape will show he was leaning and he wasn’t free to chase.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Brett Brown on Noel facing centers bigger, stronger than him:
Noel "will learn that he's 50 pounds light," Sixers coach Brett Brown said before the matchup against the 6-foot-11, 265-pound Howard. "He will learn that he's playing against a man that knows how to establish position. I'm sure he's going to understand what the light centers have experienced over the years." [Keith Pompey – Philly.com Sports]
Nerlens Noel on the challenge of facing Howard:
“It was definitely a new experience,” Noel said. “I never played anyone that big and I’msure no one ever plays against someone that big.”
"I definitely brought the energy I'm capable of bringing every night," Noel said.
Nerlens Noel on facing the "heavyweights" of the NBA:
"It's definitely going to be a great challenge, especially coming into this league and having to watch these guys all last season," said Noel, who sat out the 2013-14 campaign to rehabilitate his left knee. "Now, I have to face them. I have to take it upon myself to see what is the biggest challenge and play as hard as I can to see how I match up against the opposing big men." [Keith Pompey – Philly.com Sports]
Dwight Howard on facing the young Sixers team:
"We didn't overlook these guys and think about Miami and San Antonio," Howard said.
"Those guys, they've got a chance one day to be a good team," Howard said.
Defensively, we have seen a lot already from the athletic rookie out of Kentucky. Once Michael Carter-Williams returns to the floor, expect the Sixers to have a better overall situation, likely opening the door for Noel to contribute even more.
Brandon Apter is a writer for Sixerdelphia.com
