Nerlens Noel on his road to recovery, potential return to Dallas

“Courageous. Self-Righteous. Perseverant.” When I asked Nerlens Noel to describe this past season in Dallas in a couple of words, those were the three words he landed on. After heading to Dallas in a trade in February of 2017, Noel hit restricted free agency last summer. He came back to Dallas on a one-year qualifying […]



Nerlens Noel likely to return to action Wednesday against the Thunder

Mavs center Nerlens Noel will be available to play on Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, barring any unforeseen setbacks. Noel hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 22 and has been inactive since early December following surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. Shortly after the new year, Mavs head […]



How pushing the pace could lead to a better Mavs offense

Rick Carlisle’s announcement that Dirk Nowitzki would start at center instead of Nerlens Noel was easily the biggest revelation from Mavs Media Day. That statement may be spun in several different directions which all led to new questions. How does it affect Nerlens Noel’s future? Who will start instead of him? Will the Mavs be […]



Returning Mavs have the ingredients to put together a much-improved offense

  With the Mavericks’ re-signing of Nerlens Noel, the club has solidified its core and essentially guaranteed which players from last season’s roster will return for 2017-18. Dallas has experienced less year-to-year continuity than many other teams in the NBA since the 2010-11 championship season, but the Mavs have still managed to qualify for the […]



Mavs sign center Nerlens Noel

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed center Nerlens Noel. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Noel (6-11, 220), who was acquired by the Mavericks from the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade-deadline deal on Feb. 23, averaged 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.1 blocks […]



Nerlens Noel already working out with Mavs teammates ahead of ‘biggest offseason’ of his career

Nerlens Noel called this summer the “biggest offseason” of his life, and it looks like he’s already getting a head-start on improving alongside his new teammates. Noel, 23, has already been in the gym with some of the other Mavericks, not wasting much time after the end of the 2016-17 campaign. This summer will be […]



On the Inside: Nerlens Noel

Over the next several weeks, we will publish end-of-season breakdowns for some of the key Mavericks as part of our “On the Inside” series. Imagine never having seen the players before, and this is the scouting report. Read all of them here. There are many reasons to appreciate the NBA, and different players possess certain […]



Birthday boy Nerlens Noel just beginning to tap into his massive potential

  The Mavericks have been undergoing a youth movement for much of this season, whether it’s out of necessity due to injuries to veterans or surprising performances from young players. That youth movement peaked in February when the Mavericks parted ways with Andrew Bogut and traded Justin Anderson to Philadelphia for Nerlens Noel, a 22-year-old […]



Opening play against Thunder got Nerlens Noel going

The Mavs ran a familiar-looking play to open Monday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dirk Nowitzki caught a pass on the wing, and Yogi Ferrell set a pin-down screen for Nerlens Noel. Nowitzki delivered the ball to the elbow, and Noel let it fly. [wp_hyena imageurl=’https://www.mavs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Noel-opening-play.gif’ data_hyena='{“slate”:”300,0.10,15″,”player_fade_speed”:”500″,”control_opacity”:”0,0.9″,”fade_speed”:”250,250″,”style”:2}’] The Mavericks ran a similar play […]



Mavs’ second unit has maximized minutes since trade for Nerlens Noel

  The Mavericks may have traded for Nerlens Noel with the intention of making him their full-time starting center in the very near future — be it this season or in those to come, assuming he’s re-signed this summer, as the Mavs have made it clear they hope to do — but since coming to […]