New Orleans Pelicans Select Nerlens Noel With Sixth Overall Pick in 2013 NBA Draft

The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Nerlens Noel with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Noel, a freshman center out of Kentucky, averaged 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last year. But it was defensive numbers and size that turned heads. At 6' 11" and with a 7' 4" wingspan, Noel averaged 4.4 blocks and 2.1 steals per game in his one season at Kentucky, and was the consensus top pick in most mock drafts. However, he is recovering from a torn ACL and has a very slender 206-pound frame, which for a defensive-minded player does not bode well against the bigger centers in the league. He has virtually no offensive game, but he is as good of a defensive prospect the league has seen for a number of years.

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Video highlights of Nerlens Noel:

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZB42RYC3Oc[/embed]

Up-to-the-minute NBA Draft first round live blog

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