The LA Clippers need to sign a better backup big this offseason. Nerlens Noel would be a perfect fit.
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00:00After watching the L.A. Clippers collapse against the Denver Nuggets in this year's
00:04playoffs, it became very clear that they need some extra help off the bench next season,
00:08particularly on the defensive end.
00:10But what's unclear are the moves that will take place with the organization's current
00:13free agents and those it may be targeting in the offseason.
00:16Take Montrez, Harrell, and Ben Green, for example.
00:19Both could become free agents later this year.
00:21Green is a player option.
00:22Trez is unrestricted, so he will become a free agent regardless of what happens.
00:26And they make up two-thirds of L.A.'s center rotation, with Ibiza's Zubats being the odd
00:30man out in this situation.
00:31If the Clippers end up losing both players, the depth down low will need some serious
00:35tending to.
00:36L.A. can also look to upgrade their position if it decides to part ways with either Harrell
00:39or Green.
00:40If that ends up being the case, then New Orleans' Noel should be among L.A.'s top choices
00:44to fill the role.
00:45Noel spent each of the last two seasons in OKC with the Thunder, and will become an
00:49unrestricted free agent this offseason.
00:51In that time, he's established himself as one of the best defensive backups a team
00:54could want on the roster, all without breaking the bank.
00:57Noel has signed minimum contracts with OKC in subsequent seasons.
01:00And while he could commend a larger salary this offseason, L.A. could do a chunk of his
01:04mid-level exception to bring him in.
01:06Now, according to Clean Energy Glass, Noel is highly efficient when it comes to blocks
01:10and steals.
01:11He ranked in the 94th percentile in block percentage, and 98th percentile in steal percentage
01:16this past season among the league's centers.
01:18On the offensive end, he ranked in the 99th percentile in field goal percentage at the
01:22rim with 84%, and that's, again, among people at his position.
01:26Here's an excellent cut of his defensive highlights from this season.
01:29Click down to this video below.
01:30You can watch that video of him.
01:31Makes some very, very great plays.
01:32There are highlights against the Clippers in there as well.
01:34But that's beside the point.
01:36His ability to hit the basket and provide easy offense in the form of dunks and putbacks
01:40makes him the ideal center to play 15-20 minutes a night behind Zubats, especially if Zu would
01:45find himself in foul trouble early, which became a bit of an issue this season.
01:49There's only one major downside about Noel's defensive game right now, and that's how often
01:53he fouls.
01:55This season, Noel racked up 5.3 fouls per 36 minutes, which shows a pretty big lack of
02:01discipline or maybe just IQ on that end of the floor.
02:04The problem with that is something we just alluded to.
02:06Let's say Zubats gets a couple of fouls early in the first quarter of a game.
02:09If Noel comes in for relief and does the same thing as Zu does, that puts Zu and the Clippers
02:14coaches in a tough position to figure out what to do next.
02:17Zu can come back in early and run the risk of running that foul cuddle up before halftime,
02:21which isn't really ideal.
02:23You could play Noel some more and he can foul out.
02:26That's not a great option.
02:28The Clippers could also counter this with a reliable small ball lineup and slide someone
02:31like Green or Marcus Morris if they bring those two guys back over to the 5.
02:35But ideally, you'd like to have a room protector on the floor at all times.
02:39Ultimately, though, Noel seems like a near-seamless skill with LA's second unit.
02:43The Clippers next coach not just takes the time to work with him and corrects those foul tendencies,
02:46but he's arguably the most affordable option on the market this offseason that can provide
02:50elite room protection.