Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah Back Home
Rose and Noah: The dynamic duo. Where to start with the night that these two players had and what it was like to process both playing their ideal roles – for another team.
Well, let’s start at the end of the game. There is no way of telling where Rose is at mentally. Traded out of his hometown, recently acquitted in the court system for allegations of sexual assault, returning to the United Center as a mere “visitor.” Yet, during his post-game interview, Rose sounded more clear, more focused and more well-spoken then I can recall from him at any point during his time with Chicago or at any Adidas events.
Indeed, he played tonight the way he was supposed to play for the Bulls last year. It was the way that Chicago needed him to play. He should have been the facilitator for the Bulls, driving and relentlessly attacking the rim – not to create his own baskets, but to draw in defenders and then hit perimeter players for easy and open looks. Instead, he hit Courtney Lee, Carmelo Anthony and Brandon Jennings. In all, he racked up 11 assists with 15 points and seven rebounds to have the kind of all-around game that exposes the rule value of post-injury Derrick. He only managed to shoot 37.5 percent for the game, but his 11 assists were more than he had tallied in the previous four games combined. What a time for Rose to find himself, back home in Chicago.
Noah wasn’t ready to be outdone. Not by the Bulls and not by Rose. Though there is nothing but love between those two players, Noah managed to outscore Rose, putting up 16 points to go with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. The kind of complete game that Reinsdorf didn’t think Jo still had in him.
But there he was, breathing fire and standing by Rose’s side as the two poured everything they had into a big win over their old team. It isn’t inaccurate to characterize this game as catharsis for two players with years of turmoil on and off the court around them. Whether they were fighting injuries, LeBron James, or violence in Chicago, they were fighting it all. And they both sounded like a burden had been lifted. When Jimmy Butler drove directly into Noah’s chest late in the game, there was first a whistle for a foul called against Noah and then there was a smile.
Jo was all smiles on multiple occasions. And it wasn’t the kind of smile he had when clapping in the face of the Miami Heat or from the bench when Blake Griffin missed a free throw. There was no antagonism in Noah, only the joy of playing against familiar faces.