Australian basketball legend Heal rates Noi better than LaMelo Ball

Australian basketball legend Shane Heal has rated a Cairns Taipans star’s opening round performance as better than Illawarra’s import rookie LaMelo Ball.

• Taipans attract best opening round crowd in years
• Co-captain call an easy choice for the Taipans
• ‘Different level’: Wright says Sixers overawaes by on-song Jazz
• United’s rough start not helepd by Goulding uncertainty

Australian basketball legend Shane Heal has rated a Cairns Taipans star’s opening round performance as better than Illawarra’s import rookie LaMelo Ball.

Taipains Kouat Noi contests with Kings Andrew Bogut during the NBL round one match between the Cairns Taipans and Sydney Kings at Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Friday, October 4, 2019. (AAP Image/Brian Cassey) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Ball’s first NBL outing in Sunday’s loss to Brisbane Bullets has been heavily praised, as he filled the stats sheet with 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals - and no turnovers.

Live stream the 2019/20 NBL Season with ESPN on KAYO with your TV, Mobile, Tablet or Laptop. Get your 14 day free trial & start streaming instantly

It made him the first player in NBL history to earn a double-double with five assists and no turnovers on debut.

TAIPANS ROOKIE STARS IN DISAPPOINTING OPENING ROUND LOSS

But Heal, a four-time Olympian and NBL champion in 2003, rated Taipans rookie Kouat Noi’s performance as better than the high-profile Next Star on this week’s episode of The Basketball Show.

Noi was sensational for the Taipans, as he became the first rookie in club history to earn a double-double on debut.

He finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and his high-energy was on display as the Taipans led the competition heavyweight Sydney Kings for three quarters.

Our mates at The Basketball Show are pumped to talk more hoops following round one of the NBL!Illawarra go under the...

Posted by Telegraph Sport on Monday, 7 October 2019

During the Prospect Watch segment, Heal rated Noi the best young baller in the first round, ahead of Ball and Melbourne United’s Jo Lual-Acuil.

FOLLOW THE BASKETBALL SHOW ON FACEBOOK HERE

“I like the fact he can step outside but he’s got the athleticism to get into the hoop as well,” Heal said.

“But really active on the boards, and that’s what the Cairns Taipans are going to need.”

EPISODE 2 IS HERE!@ShaneHeal & @carfinomagic are back! It’s the Hawks under the 🔨 this week... and who was #1 in Round 1’s Prospect Watch? Hint: It wasn’t LaMelo Ball! 😨
Thanks to @telegraph_sport, @UNIBETAustralia & @alcatelANZ 🙏🏼
📺 WATCH: https://t.co/WeoA5owqwl pic.twitter.com/Za4fp3iQVm

— The Basketball Show 🇦🇺 (@BasketballAu) October 7, 2019

The Sudan-born superstar on the rise said confidence was most important when he stepped on court for the first time in the NBL.

Stream live coverage of up to 7 games each week of the NBA Regular Season with ESPN on Kayo. Get your 14 day free trail & start streaming instantly

“It was key for me to come out confident, so that’s what I did,” Noi, 21, said.

“It could’ve been better if we had the win, but it’s basketball, things happen, so we need to get better as a team.”

The Taipans hit the road this week for two games. They’ll face the Bullets in Brisbane on Friday night, before a trip to Illawarra to face the Hawks on Monday.

Originally published as Australian basketball legend Heal rates Noi better than LaMelo Ball