Unlike Noel, Pelicans' Davis was brought along slowly

NEW ORLEANS - The 76ers' development of Nerlens Noel is far different from the measures taken by the New Orleans Pelicans when Anthony Davis was a rookie.

Noel has squared off against some of the NBA elite post players in Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol and Roy Hibbert. The 6-foot-11, 217-pound rookie also averaged 30.1 minutes heading into Monday's 99-74 loss to Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. He logged 35 or more minutes six times.

The Pelicans tried to limit Davis' minutes during his rookie campaign in 2012-13. And he rarely lined up against the likes of Howard, Gasol and Hibbert. In fact, New Orleans signed a few post players to 10-day contracts to take the blows while Davis was matched up against smaller post players.

The two former Kentucky standouts have completely different circumstances that led to different development tactics.

Noel has to log prominent minutes on team loaded with nine rookies or second-year players. And because Noel is one of three post players 6-10 or taller, the Sixers are forced to pair him against imposing post players.

"A.D.'s situation was different," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. "He was 18, 19 years old and his body was developing. He was 225 [pounds] to start the year. He finished his rookie year at 212.

"So I had to do things necessary to guard him from injury, because he was playing against guys who were 30, 40 pounds bigger. Then when we played him at the center spot, he was playing against guys 270, 280."

Sixers post player Henry Sims saw that firsthand. He signed a 10-day contract New Orleans on March 3, 2013.

"I thought he was thin, too," Sims recalled about Davis.

Sims said he doesn't remember much about his 10 days with the squad. "But when I was here, I was guarding the bigger of the guys."

Williams limited Davis and did not pair him against imposing players until the first overall pick of the 2012 draft developed more strength and put more muscle on his frame.

"I do see the benefit of protecting those guys who are wiry strong when you have to play against Dwight and Gasol and Nikola Pekovic, who's like a tank down there," Williams said. "Those guys will take you out. And 20, 25 years ago, they would take you out on purpose.

"So you would never put a guy out there like that."

Being brought along slowly hasn't hindered Davis' development. The now-240-pounder has blossomed into one of the league's top players.

The Western Conference starter for the NBA All-Star Game took averages of 24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 1.6 steals into the game.

But Noel loves the approach the Sixers are forced to take with him.

"I want to be out here playing against the best guys in the league now," he said. "Coming into the offseason, I know exactly what I have to work on. Being able to step up to a challenge like that, playing against the Marc Gasols, the Z-Bos [Zach Randolph], that's a lot of experience that is going to come in handy down the road."

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