Nerlens Noel’s Career Is Still Just Getting Started

Nerlens Noel has had his share of storylines in his short career so far, but it is importnant to remember he is still just getting started.

Nerlens Noel’s career isn’t over.

In just a handful of days, Noel will turn 24 years old, yet after a horrific season in Dallas, people seem to already be writing him off and taking their jabs at him. And I get it.

Noel and his camp turned down a massive offer sheet last summer to bet on himself this year in hopes of earning a big payday. After losing minutes in the rotation, having thumb surgery and now failing a drug test that resulted in a five-game suspension, this is the valley of Noel’s short career so far.

But it is important to remember that he is still just 23 years old.

Second round pick rookie, Jordan Bell, is 23 years old at the moment. Other rookies such as Derrick White, Josh Hart and Justin Jackson are all 23 years old.

Then you have 24 year olds like Denzel Valentine, Frank Mason, Kris Dunn, and Taurean Prince whose careers are just getting started in the league.

Basically, he would be in his second season in the NBA if he stayed all four years at Kentucky and his career in the NBA would just be getting started. And in all honesty, this is probably how he should be viewing it at the moment.

A chance to start over and a chance to start the proving process over again.

Everything just gets pushed back a year.

After Noel signed the qualifying offer, he thought this season was the ultimate ‘prove it’ year. It was a one-year chance to have his potential maximized with the hopes of earning a big payday in the summer of 2018. Now, everything gets pushed back to the summer of 2019.

Noel has all but crushed his chances of a massive offer sheet in the summer of 2018, but he now has the option of taking a small, one-year deal in the very best situation for him to maximize his potential.

It is important to remember, he didn’t pick Dallas. He was traded to Dallas.

What if Golden State brought him in on the minimum in the Zaza Pachulia/JaVale McGee role? What if Milwaukee brought him in as the starting center for a year and he excels with Giannis Antetokounmpo alongside of him?

What if a team like Atlanta or Phoenix doesn’t land a big in the first round and gives him a short deal as the starting center and he excels?

The athletic, rim running, shot-blocking Noel could hypothetically play the Clint Capela role for a team and possibly earn a payday in the summer of 2019. Would he still regret the summer of 2017 then?

Probably, but it wouldn’t technically all be “lost” money. It could be that Noel just gets his big payday a year or two later than when some players do. Take a look at Chandler Parsons for example.

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Parsons signed a four-year, $94 million deal in 2016. After his plethora of injuries, it looks like this will be the last of big paydays for Parsons in his career. When his contract is up after the 2019-20 season, you expect Parsons to get a minimum type deal. That is if he is even in the league still and hasn’t retired by then.

Comparing the two, it would be like Noel and Parsons switched timelines. Parsons got his payday and money earlier in this career with minimums in the back-end while Noel got his minimum years and smaller paydays at the beginning with his bigger paydays later in his career.

For this reason, the judgement on Noel’s career and financial decision in the summer of 2017 must be put on hold.

If we look back at the end of Noel’s career and he never got his big payday, then all of the current jabs and critiques will be warranted. But if we look back at the end of Noel’s career and he has had one or two big paydays, then his decision in the summer of 2017 will mean nothing.

Next: Dirk Nowitzki Has Ankle Surgery

Jumping to conclusions and fast judgements for social media approval is popular, but like a lot of situations, they shouldn’t  hold any weight until time has played itself out.