There’s a changing of culture in the Chicago Bulls organization and the effect that will have on the players could lead to some roster moves. With new head coach Fred Hoiberg coming to Chicago after the team parted ways with Tom Thibodeau, there will be a move from a defensive-minded team to an uptempo offensive team.
That move to uptempo offense could also call for the team to move on from center Joakim Noah. The team’s face and voice over the last few seasons isn’t a bad player, he’s just declining and with the logjam at the forward positions and center spot, Noah might be the odd man out, which might be the best move for the team and their young players.
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After signing Pau Gasol prior to last season the Bulls had a nice pairing of both he and Noah, but the production dropped heavily. In just 67 games played last season, Noah averaged 7.2 points per game to go along with 9.6 rebounds per game. That’s a considerable drop-off from his 2013-14 season in which Noah averaged 12.6 points per game and 11.3 rebounds per.
Coming off of a surgically repaired knee Noah’s minutes and production were expected to drop last season, but now in a new uptempo offense, how much can the team expect to rely on him? That’s where a trade makes sense to a certain degree.
Trading Noah would call for a move of Pau Gasol to the center position and would open a training camp and preseason battle between Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic for the starting power forward spot. Gibson has longed deserved a more useful role in the team’s offense, but Mirotic also showed in his rookie season that he deserves a chance for heavy minutes.
After Gibson and Mirotic there is rookie Bobby Portis and second-year forward Doug McDermott also battling for minutes at either the small forward or stretch-four position behind Gibson and Mirotic. Right now, the Bulls have a logjam and that might not be all that bad considering the potential for injuries, but it also keeps guys on the bench who deserve some playing time.
An even bigger difference from Thibodeau to Hoiberg is the younger players on the team (McDermott and Portis in particular) should get a chance to play more than they would have in Thibodeau’s system. Again, a logjam is not necessarily a bad thing for the Bulls, but it would best benefit the team if they break up that jam.
Joakim Noah has been the face of the Chicago Bulls and their connection to the city of Chicago with his foundation and his campaigns against violence. He’s also been the voice of the team with the media and in the locker room especially around teammate Derrick Rose. In a span of three years when media and fans were ready to run Rose out of town, Noah stood up and stood by his teammate.
He brings an edge, a tenacity to the team, and passion that makes the Bulls fans “See Red”, but the drop in production must outweigh emotions for Joakim Noah’s time in Chicago, and the organization should give hard consideration to moving him before the season begins.
Next: Chicago Bulls Player Grade: Joakim Noah
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