It has been an imperfect and challenging start to the season for Nerlens Noel, but he might be timing his return perfectly.
The banged-up Knicks center, who has not played since Nov. 8 because of a sprained right knee, is probable for Saturday’s game at the Garden against the Rockets.
He will be needed because Taj Gibson, who has a sore groin, is listed as doubtful.
Noel practiced fully Friday in Tarrytown, which Tom Thibodeau called “a good sign.” Noel has played in just four of the Knicks’ 15 games, missing the first nine with a left knee injury, then returning and building his stamina back up. In his fourth game, Philadelphia’s Danny Green fell into Noel’s right knee, he hit the ground and hasn’t been in a game since.
The 27-year-old has taken just nine shots all season after the Knicks brought him back on a three-year, $32 million deal. Noel had filled in well last year when Mitchell Robinson went down.
Such is the case with the Knicks big men. It was only Monday when the 6-foot-9 Gibson had to rotate down and play center in the win over the Pacers because Noel was sidelined and Robinson had aggravated a balky ankle.
Robinson — who missed a game earlier this month with a hip flexor and had broken his foot last season, which caused his absence from much of the preseason this year — appears to be OK. But the way the position is working right now, he should watch his step.
The Knicks have struggled to find the right chemistry, especially within a struggling starting five. Thibodeau was asked at what point — game 25? — he takes a hard look at how they jell.
“I wish I could give you an answer to that, other than you work out,” the Knicks coach said ahead of the 16th game of the season. “I think over time, the more that you play together, the better you get at it.
“I think you see it with the second unit. That didn’t happen overnight. It took time. They really worked at it. They put a lot of extra time in. They come in early.”
It is tough to get rhythms down in-season.
“We don’t practice that much, and we don’t play five-on-five in practice any more,” Evan Fournier said. “It’s really about watching the game, watching the tape, seeing how you can adjust, what you can do better and once you get on the floor, do it.”
Thibodeau was still frustrated about Wednesday’s loss to the Magic, in which the Knicks turned the ball over 18 times, and Orlando had just 12 turnovers.
“The big thing is our turnovers. Our turnovers hurt us. You should win a game like that,” Thibodeau said. “You hold a team to 41 percent [from the field], but we gave them second shots. The rebounding wasn’t good, and our turnovers hurt us. So, we have to fix that.”