4 OKC Thunder players who need to up their game this season
By Noah Schulte
Nerlens Noel:
Whereas the OKC Thunder will need significant contributions next year from each of the guys on this list, they don’t have much invested in Nerlens Noel. After all, they’re paying him a mere $1.7 million over the next two years. Barring an unexpected development, he doesn’t seem to factor into their long-term plans, nor should he, unless major progress is demonstrated.
Through his first four years in the NBA he’s shown massive defensive potential, sure, however there’s a reason no one was willing to offer him much money.
On the court he hasn’t developed much over the last few years on either side of the ball,. Although he has all the tools in the world to be a great defender, his brand of defense is far too out of control to be anywhere near consistent.
Sure, he can still do things like this:
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But, not nearly enough or consistently enough to have garnered a big money contract.
Which brings us to his behavior off the court which has been erratic at best. From his tumultuous exit from the Philadelphia 76ers, to the still-unknown source of his feud with Rick Carlisle to his halftime antics last year he’s had a frustrating four years.
Yes, in some cases he’s had legitimate reasons to act out in the way he has. That said, for the most part, it seems like he can’t quite get over his ego.
Given his past, the OKC Thunder are probably his last opportunity to deliver on the promise of expectations.
Maybe he finally finds a home in Oklahoma City and develops into the player he was drafted to be. Or maybe he can get over his off-the-court issues and settle into a comfortable role.
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Certainly if Noel doesn’t change the narrative and deliver on that promise his options are slim. Either he’ll find himself out of work this time next year or languishing at the end of a team’s bench for the remainder of his career.