Pippen Ain't Easy
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Chicago Bulls Positional Grades

By Jeremy Karll

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May 4, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts beside Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) in the third quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Center: Joakim Noah, Cameron Bairstow

It’s unfair to think that the only two centers on the team are Joakim Noah and Cameron Bairstow. Gibson and Gasol both spend time as the man in the middle and I consider Bairstow more of a power forward. Either way, Noah is the starting center and Bairstow once again won’t see much playing time again this season.

If you haven’t heard that Joakim Noah was disappointing during his 2014-15 campaign, then you must have lived under a rock. Noah was only able to average 7.2 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game, both his lowest since his second year in the league. His defense wasn’t much better. Noah only blocked 1.1 shots per game, his lowest since his rookie season, and 0.7 steals per game, his lowest since the 2011-12 season.

It was a rough year for Noah on both sides of the ball and off the court, as he dealt with lingering injuries all year. He still played with the same intensity and energy that Chicago is use to seeing and never quit on plays.

The offense wasn’t running through him last year and while he has never been the most talented offensive player, he is one of the best passing big men in the league and did a great job commanding the offense. Noah still averaged 4.7 assists per game and despite it being nearly an assist less than the previous season, he was still one of the best passing big men in the league.

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Noah’s stats were expected to take a hit with Derrick Rose back, along with the additions of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. However, watching him play, he didn’t look like the same player.

At times, Noah looked like he was trying to do too much on offense and force things. Noah looked awkward like he didn’t know what to do now that he was the fourth option. He also lost a step on defense. Yet, as bad as he sounded, there’s still hope that he can get back to being considered one of the best big men in the game.

Cameron Bairstow only played in 18 games during his rookie season, starting one. He mostly came in at the end of blowouts, so it was hard to grasp the type of player he can become. He has played well in Summer League the past two summers, but wasn’t aggressive when put into an NBA game. He was a defensive force while at New Mexico, recording 51 blocks in 34 games during his senior year. However, the Bulls frontcourt is too talented for him to see any real minutes, and the addition of Bobby Portis just makes that more of a reality.

With Joakim Noah and Cameron Bairstow as the only centers listed on the depth chart this position gets a lower grade than most would expect. Two years ago, Noah was arguably the best center in the game, but last season he would have been lucky to crack people’s top-10 lists. Bairstow is a non-factor on the Bulls and whether Noah can get back to MVP level is in question with Pau Gasol still in town. More than these two will play center, but following the depth chart and the season Noah is coming off of, this position only gets a C.

Grade: C

Next: Where does Jimmy Butler rank among the 2011 NBA Draft's best?

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