Best Bulls Moments of 2010 Part 2

3) Bulls Give Joakim Noah an Extension

When he was drafted, it almost seemed as though he was merely a popular pick. He was a known name hot off of back-to-back NCAA championship teams. No one really thought it was going to last. Fast forward to now and Joakim Noah  is second only to Derrick Rose in Chicago. He’s in a sense, Scottie Pippen 2.0 to Derrick Rose’s Michael Jordan 2.0. Those seem far fetched but it becoming that way in Chicago; but it almost wasn’t.

There was talks of trading for Carmelo Anthony and that deal would include Joakim Noah as the centerpiece selling point. This delighted few and horrified many. So many times this past decade the Bulls had extreme talent (Eddie Curry, Elton Brand, Ron Artest) and traded them away for players no longer on the roster. Granted this time it was Carmelo Anthony that was being discussed but the principal was still there. Just when it looked like the Bulls were going to start off the new decade the way they did the last, the front office pitched a curveball that proves this new decade will be different.

The Bulls signed Joakim Noah to a fat new contract that keeps the young stud in Chicago through at least 2014.

Noah was doing fine under Vinny Del Negro’s style of defense but as soon as Tom Thibodeau came to town, Noah became an anchor in the defense. Noah was a good rebounder before but now he is turning into a machine, a rebounding vacuum. The move showed the Bulls were serious about putting a very talented product on the court for a very long time which was very appealing to fans. If the Bulls lock up Rose, which they will without a doubt, the Bulls will put a consistent lineup on the court night after night for a long time. Noah is a face of this franchise, he’s a rockstar and having him in Chicago is a very healthy thing. Rose, Noah, Boozer and Deng; not since the heydays have the Bulls had a lineup that’s not only good, but even the most casual fan can follow. Brilliant move.