Why the Chicago Bulls Should Not Write Off Joakim Noah Just Yet

Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah had easily the most frustrating year of his career last season. After posting career highs in points (12.6), rebounds (11.3) and assists (5.4) per game in 2013-14, Noah regressed to among the lowest numbers of his career for the Bulls last year.

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Since then, many fans have been quick to deliver the death knell on Joakim Noah’s career. He had significant knee trouble, including a microfracture surgery before last season.

In an article for Bulls.com, Sam Smith noted that new coach Fred Hoiberg has seriously discussed splitting up Noah and Pau Gasol in the starting lineup.

With Gasol coming off an All-Star appearance, it would seem more than likely Noah will be the one relegated to the bench.

Noah would obviously not be happy to come off the bench. But, this move might be the best way to extend Noah’s career and optimize his skill set.

When Noah was at his best, it was when he had the ball in his hands in the high post. Last year, Noah and Gasol were fighting for touches in the frontcourt, effectively satisfying neither. Things only got more complicated when taking into account Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose, one of the more ball-dominant backcourts in basketball.

If Noah and Gasol are split up, whether Noah starts or not, it should create many opportunities for him to thrive.

Big men getting the ball in the high post is a staple of the Fred Hoiberg offense. Iowa State star Georges Niang was one of the best in the business of taking advantage of the spacing. To take advantage, a player has to both be able to pass effectively and be surrounded by shooters and cutters off the ball.

Along with adjusting the frontcourt rotation, this year’s second rotation should be a fun group to watch as well. Doug McDermott was one of the best off-the-ball players in college basketball, and will finally get a chance to excel with more playing time. Tony Snell can spread the floor and has improved at cutting to the rim. Aaron Brooks can hit the open jumper. Nikola Mirotic can both hit open shots and attack the basket.

With the potential reserve lineup of Brooks, Snell, McDermott, Mirotic and Noah, the latter should have the ball in his hands for long stretches. Being a bigger part of the offense should help him stay effective on both sides of the floor.

What could make the biggest difference is Noah’s ability to work out this summer. With the knee problems hampering him, Noah failed to attack the boards with the same voracity. Perhaps even more bizarre, his free throw shooting went from mid-70s to barely 60 percent.

Noah was able to hit his signature “tornado” jumper with some level of consistency in 2013-14, but the shot was gone last year. Being able to hit it even 40 percent of the time would vastly improve his ability to stay on the floor.

Will Noah ever average 12 points per game again? Probably not.

But, he is well suited to adjust his game for Hoiberg’s system. If he can be half the player he was in 2013-14, his production will spike.

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