For Now, Joakim Noah Wants To Remain With Bulls
Despite having a tough time lately, Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah wishes to remain with the team moving forward.
Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah has had one heck of a year so far. First, newly appointed head coach Fred Hoiberg decides to bench him for Nikola Mirotic. Then, he was sidelined for nine games because of a tear in his shoulder.
And now he is out once more (this time for four to six months), after re-injuring the same shoulder and undergoing surgery Thursday. To say he is having a tough time, would be an understatement.
To make matters more interesting, Noah’s contract is up at the end of this season. And while there was probably no doubt in anyone’s mind during the offseason that the center would re-sign with the Bulls, many are now questioning whether he would still want to stick around.
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At 30, Noah should still have plenty of more to give. However, the once energetic, highly driven, co-face of the franchise has seemed underwhelmed recently. But not without good reason. After having his starting role taken away from him, only to have to deal with a reoccurring injury on top of it, it is easy to understand why Noah may not be the happiest of campers right now.
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Earlier in the year, the trade rumor mill was running wild with stories regarding Chicago trying to get rid of Noah. Having been with the team for eight years, he is recording record-low numbers; currently, Noah is averaging 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists, on 21.9 minutes of play a game.
He has only started twice and played in 29 games total. It would make total sense for the organization to try to trade him.
But not only for the Bulls. If things were to continue down the same path, Noah would also be better off playing somewhere else. He could return to being a starter, and finish out his career by once again playing high-level basketball.
He could regain confidence in himself, find that contagious energy he has always been known for, and go back to being the player who once won Defensive Player Of The Year.
However, it seems like at least for now, Noah hopes to be back with Chicago.
"“I hope so,” he replied, when asked if he wanted to still play for the Bulls. “[Free agency is] not easy, but I know there’s people out there who it’s a lot harder for, so I’m not complaining. These are my cards right now. And it’s all about how you bounce back. I just want to prove that I have a lot more basketball in me.”"
Staying in Chicago certainly has its pros. For one, it is the only place Noah has ever played thus far. He knows the system, is close to the team, and has a solid fan base. At least all of those things were true, not that long ago. Now, it seems impossible to ever tell what is really going on behind the organization’s closed doors.
Leaving the Bulls may take him out of his comfort zone, but Noah should at the very least consider the possibility of finding a new home elsewhere. Since Hoiberg has come on, things have been…complicated, and it may take some time before things are straightened out.
There is also no guarantee that there are any plans of returning Noah to the starting five, and he himself has made it clear that he is not thrilled about his new role.
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If a better opportunity presents itself this summer, it may be wise for Noah to take it. It would be a pity to see such an infamous player fizzle out, with years left in his career.