Season highlights:
It would be easy to say that his shot-blocking or rim rocking dunks were Noel’s season highlights. The chemistry he had with Schroder was brilliant to watch, be it on help defense or the money end of an alley-oop.
However, for me, the greatest highlight of Nerlens Noel’s season for the OKC Thunder was the times where he was tapped to join the starting lineup. On those occasions, when he stepped onto the court he was focused, he was ready and he played with such pride and ferocity.
Noel was fully aware that when Adams came back to the team healthy he was going to be on the bench again, but that did not matter. His numbers while starting offer a tremendous story. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.6 assists in 26.4 minutes per game.
Erased at the rim ‼️ @NerlensNoel3 | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/F6LUvUEYlU
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 20, 2020
While seven games is a small sample size, Noel failed to score in double digits once where he scored only eight points. He also collected a double-double in the three point loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.
In these seven games, the OKC Thunder went 3-4 which is huge considering how big an impact Adams has on the team. Without Noel and his impressive attitude, the Thunder would not have reached the heights they did this season.