Noel’s NBA draft stock after devastating injury
by Kyle Tucker, USA TODAY Sports
Kentucky freshman center Nerlens Noel is out for the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress gives his view on what that could mean for Noel, who was projected as the possible top overall pick in the NBA draft.
Noel is expected to be out at least six to eight months with the injury.
“It’s a tough call,” Givony said. “I don’t think you can really say anything definitive at this point. Not every NBA GM will react the same way. Some will look at it as not the end of the world; he’ll be back by December or January.
“At the end of the day, he’s still the best big guy on the board. If you need a center … Noel brings dramatically different things (than any other center). GMs are going to want a thorough examination, but I have to imagine he’s going to recover and be just fine from this.
“Maybe he slips one or two spots. It’s tough to swallow if you’re an NBA GM, the worst team in the league, and you get the No. 1 pick in the draft and you don’t have immediate help coming. But I don’t think it’s going to hurt him that much when it’s all said and done.”
Tucker also writes for the Louisville Courier-Journal
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