Noel just got in his first NBA Game

[Kori Ellis]

Actually you aren't that much older than me. Without looking it up, I know he's a player that played in the early 80's for a variety of teams. (Did he play for the Spurs for a season?) I'm guessing (remembering?) he's a small forward but I don't know for sure.

[timvp]

I can't believe playdog keeps getting us confused.

[ChumpDumper]

They have a team option on him for next year.

That's right, you said that. I think it should work out ok for him, depending on Seattle's draft and offseason (i.e., unloading Fortson). He might have to spend some time on the bubble again, but if he keeps up the good work, he'll just make himself too valuable to let go.

[Kori Ellis]

Seattle might look for big changes this summer. I think they'll take a stab at getting KG. They might look at a variety of packages to get rid of any of Rashard Lewis, Luke Ridnour, Nick Collison, Danny Fortson. But I would guess their main priority is to try to get Wilcox's re-signed. It will be an interesting summer for them.

Noel will either stay in Seattle when the season ends (but not very many of the Sonics players stick around in the summer) or go back to Los Angeles with Earl Watson and work out with the UCLA players on the things the Sonics want him to work on. Then he'll go back to Seattle in the beginning of July to start prepping for summer league, etc.

They picked him up this year not for this season but for next. So I think he should be okay. He's developed a lot. Nothing much shows up in his stat lines yet. But he has developed a good jumpshot (it's always him, Ray, Damien in the finals in practice shootouts). And he's caught on to everything they've taught him at both forward spots.

We'll see what happens.

[ShoogarBear]

Actually you aren't that much older than me.

Yeah, but we know you don't even look at dudes unless they're a decade younger.

Without looking it up, I know he's a player that played in the early 80's for a variety of teams. (Did he play for the Spurs for a season?) I'm guessing (remembering?) he's a small forward but I don't know for sure.

Yeah, he played a half-year with the Spurs. His claim to fame was that he was the first player to go straight from high school to the NBA. A great leaper (back when there were only about 1-2 per team), and decent guy to have off the bench.

[Kori Ellis]

Yeah, but we know you don't even look at dudes unless they're a decade younger.

I cannot deny that.

[ShoogarBear]

His claim to fame was that he was the first player to go straight from high school to the NBA.

Having said that, I had to go check: it looks like he and Darryl Dawkins both started the same year.

[kris]

First mistake.

Did you ask Noel about his block on Yao, BTW?

Yes, I did. He thinks it's cool, but I think he wants more. I asked him how many blocks he thought he would average if he played 20 mpg and he said 3. I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't.