Joakim Noah: Most important player on the New York Knicks
By Eric Snyder
The New York Knicks failed last year and Joakim Noah was a big part of that failure. This upcoming season he could be the most important player on the team.
If the New York Knicks expect to overcome their troubles they may need a miracle of biblical proportions. Luckily, they have their own version of Noah…Joakim Noah.
When the flood of trouble came last season, both the Knicks and Noah drowned. Yet, the veteran center promises a much better year this time around. An ark isn’t involved in this miracle, but the Knicks have somehow floated along through the offseason.
On the “Truth Barrel” podcast, Noah made clear just how embarrassed he was for last season. Unfortunately, there was plenty embarrassment to go around the New York Knicks locker room. Phil Jackson made a mess of the team and vastly overpaid Noah ($72 million), who is on the backside of his career.
The suspension for failing a drug test only compounded his failures on the court. However, this season the energetic center promises to be different. The young Knicks need a veteran leader and Joakim Noah is both willing and able to take that lead.
Leading the big men
The tall tandem of Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez are a stout duo and the Knicks need them to succeed. With an average age of 22.5 years, there isn’t much experience between the two international studs.
KP and Willy need guidance from a big man who knows how to win and how to play in the NBA. Yet, most veterans have no interest in grooming the young players who will take away their playing time. Marc Berman of the New York Post chronicled Joakim Noah’s thoughts on being a leader this season:
"“We have some really good young players coming up at my position,’’ Noah said. “I’ve got to see the NBA at its highest level. I don’t like that some of these young guys have only seen bulls–t. It’s important for these young guys to have good vets. I want to be that for the younger guys. They have to see the right way.”"
Critics can question the contract, free throw form and offensive ability of Joakim Noah the rest of his career. However, no one will ever question the effort and heart of the back-to-back NCAA champion. If Noah can communicate that effort and heart to his fellow big men, the Knicks can be the surprise team of NBA this year.
Leading the Frenchman
There is only one player on the New York Knicks who can speak the native language of Frank Ntilikina and that is Joakim Noah. The culture shock of New York City and the NBA cannot be overstated, especially to a 19-year-old kid from France.
Fortunately, Ntilikina has a veteran voice in his locker room to help him transition into the NBA. Any differences in their age or basketball position matters little in comparison to the positive impact Noah will have on the rookie.
Whenever the Knicks assimilate Ntilikina into their team and get meaningful minutes from him they can thank, in part, Joakim Noah. Obviously, the young point guard won’t learn the intricacies of his position from Noah, but he will learn how to be a professional.
Words cannot fully describe how important Ntilikina is to the future of the New York Knicks. From Steve Mills to Jeff Hornacek, everyone’s future will ride on the rookie from France. Consequently, the role of Noah in making him comfortable is as important as any other relationship on the Knicks.
Leading himself
Anyone who watched Joakim Noah play at the University of Florida or with the Chicago Bulls saw a confident and energetic player. Somehow that same player admittedly lacked confidence last season.
The team culture and overall vibe in Madison Square Garden was toxic enough last season to drain any positivity from Noah. Multiple times in his interview on “Truth Barrel,” Noah referred to losing his confidence last season.
Noah has never been a player with much offensive skill, but his personal confidence and effort were unmatched. Yet, Marc Berman quoted Noah as saying this in reference to losing confidence:
"“I went through a lot of adversity,’’ Noah said. “You go through injuries. I lost my confidence this year. It’s about bouncing back and showing who I am through these tough times. It can really show what you’re made of…I still have a lot of mountains to climb,’’ Noah added. “My role, I don’t know what it’s going to be. I don’t know what’s coming. I want to be as ready as possible.’’"
The bounce-back for Joakim Noah includes coming back from a suspension for using a banned substance. In his attempt to heal and find himself, Noah made a mistake that likely looked worse than it actually was.
Either way, New York Knicks fans can expect his confidence and veteran leadership to make a triumphant return. Joakim Noah will never be the most talented player on the Knicks. Likewise, he’ll never lead the league in free throw shooting.
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But the Knicks don’t need veteran talent and they can survive his woeful shooting. What they do need is someone to light a fire and inspire everyone around them. Despite all his past failures and bloated contract, Joakim Noah could be the most important player on the New York Knicks this year.