Typically, it's a good thing—a great thing—to have the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Sure, it means that you just had a disaster of a season. But the No. 1 pick provides hope for fledgling NBA franchises. It's a sign of good things to come.
At least, that's usually what it is. That might not be the case this year, though. That's because this year's projected No. 1 pick Nerlens Noel suffered an ACL tear in February. And, as a result, the thought now is that he won't be available to play until at least Christmas.
"It's an injury you've got to be mindful of," Noel said at the NBA Combine this week. "You can't try to rush back from it. You want to have longevity in your career, just be careful with it."
That's a smart move on Noel's part. But it also makes taking him with the No. 1 overall pick risky. If he's going to be on the bench for half the season next year, it'll hurt your team and put them right back into the lottery. So is he really worth a No. 1 pick? One NBA team will have to answer that next month.
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[via Ball Don't Lie]
