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Nerlens Noel is still working on coming back from that nasty ACL tear. He won't be ready for the start of the NBA season, but his doctors and trainers are confident that his recovery is going as planned. If these reports are true, then Nerlens Noel should easily be the 1st pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
The updates on Noel's recovery are courtesy of Dr. James Andrews (his doctor) and his trainer, Kevin Wilk. Chad Ford supplied some quotes in his most recent post for ESPN.com.
Dr. James Andrews:
"We're really happy with his progress," Andrews told ESPN in a phone interview. "He's several weeks ahead of schedule on his rehab. He's improving on a weekly basis. He has a completely stable knee. The bone plugs are completely healed into the bone. His muscle and weight is returning. He has had no setbacks at all."
Kevin Wilk:
"He's well ahead of schedule," he said. "He's now out on the court for about an hour doing free shooting. He's running in the pool. I don't know too many guys who could do that at this stage."
Obviously it's going to be a process once Nerlens Noel gets drafted, but this is certainly good news. It sounds as though Noel is recovering just fine and will be able to return to full strength soon enough. Furthermore, it sounds like he's nearly at the point where he can work on some basketball skills and improve his game while he waits for his knee to reach 100%. Of course, the only opinion that really matters is that of the Cleveland Cavaliers' doctors. They'll get a chance to see what's going on with Noel's knee on June 20th when he visits the team.