Chicago Bulls: Which Joakim Noah Will The Bulls Get?

Back in the 2013-14 season, Joakim Noah was an integral part of the Chicago Bulls as they dealt with their first full season without Derrick Rose. After tearing his ACL the previous postseason, Rose took an entire season off to completely rehab from his injury, which put the Bulls in a precarious position, as they were without their star point guard.

Shorthanded, Noah filled in with one of the best seasons of his career, and was recognized for his performance with a third place finish in the MVP voting. However, the Bulls failed at the first hurdle of the playoffs, losing to the Washington Wizards in a 4-1 series upset.

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Last season, Bulls’ fans were filled with hope as Rose announced his return. This news, coupled with Noah’s performance the season before, led many to think that the Bulls would be a top contender in the Eastern Conference to LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. But it was not to be, as Rose suffered another injury and Noah looked like a shell of himself as he struggled with his own injuries.

With early reports claiming that Noah feels better on his feet (he described himself as feeling “lighter” on his own feet), Bulls’ fans are once again led to think that this could be their year. Undoubtedly, a healthy Joakim Noah will go a long way in realizing those dreams, but which version of Noah will the Bulls get?

As stated earlier, last season’s Noah was playing hobbled, essentially. He underwent knee surgery during the 2014 offseason, but still played the season on a hurting knee. His explosiveness was limited, and the once-praised defensive big man was a much more limited version of himself.

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He dovetailed perfectly alongside Pau Gasol on the offensive end, but the two simply couldn’t stop anyone on defense. Once known for their status as an elite defensive team, the 2014-15 Bulls slipped out of the top 10 and finished the season as the 11^th best defense. They had a 104.3 defensive rating – the worst mark since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach.

And while the Gasol-Noah pairing worked well offensively, it wasn’t at its best. Noah averaged just 4.8 points per game in the paint last season – a number that should have been (in theory, at least) a lot higher once you consider Gasol’s ability to score from the midrange. His 4.8 points in the paint were 3.0 points less than the 7.8 he had two seasons ago, when he was the Bulls’ main facilitator on offense.

One of the things that make Noah such a formidable defender were his tenacity and his agility. He is one of the hardest workers in the league, and his defensive intensity is exemplary. At 6’11”, Noah doesn’t quite have the frame necessary to be a prolific shot blocker, but he does most of his defensive duties before the shot goes up. He mirrors his opponents’ movements, and is rarely beaten off the dribble. At his best, Noah can switch onto point guards comfortably, without being a massive liability.

However, in his hobbled state last season, Noah’s movement was limited. As his body struggled to keep up, he lost his intensity and the Bulls’ defense suffered as a result. For a player who thrives on passion, limiting him physically removed the fun of the game for him.

There is still work to do with the Noah-Gasol pairing. Gasol proved last season that he could still score in bunches as he led the Bulls in total points scored, and even averaged a double-double. But many of those points came inefficiently, as the Bulls would force-feed Gasol the ball. With a playmaker like Noah at center, the Bulls can run a big-man offense similar to the Memphis Grizzlies from a few seasons ago.

Both teams have great passers (Noah, Marc Gasol) and low-post threats (Pau Gasol, Zach Randolph). The high-low passing that Memphis perfected was a thing of beauty to watch – Gasol would receive the ball at the elbow and create passing sets with Randolph in the low post. If Gasol’s man dared to help off him, it would be a simple return pass to Gasol, who would drain the midrange jumper.

While Noah’s jumper is far from Marc Gasol’s consistency, there is great potential on offense for the Noah-Gasol duo. With either player interchangeable in the high and low post areas, the Bulls and coach Fred Hoiberg will have several different sets and combinations they can run with the duo.

The focus this offseason has been on Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose, but if the Bulls want to be a true contender in the East, they’ll need third-placed MVP Joakim Noah as part of the Big Three.

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