Center: Joakim Noah (2013-14)
There was a very close decision that came about when deciphering who should be the starting five in this all-time list for the Bulls franchise. Horace Grant came very close to getting the nod, but he couldn’t completely replace the production that this all-time starting five would get from the former Florida Gators star big man Joakim Noah.
During an electric 2013-14 season, that was one of the best defensive showings of any player in the NBA in the last decade, Noah would see his game rise to a whole new level. He would play in all but two regular season games (while trying to fill the void of the injured D-Rose). And he would start in all of his 80 games played during that season.
In those 80 games, Noah averaged a career-best 12.6 points per game, 11.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 73.7 percent from the charity stripe. For his efforts during the 2013-14 campaign, Noah would receive his first career All-NBA honors, an All-Star selection, and the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The advanced numbers also clearly showed how good and efficient Noah was for the Bulls during the 2013-14 regular season. He registered a 5.3 box plus/minus rating, 5.2 value over replacement player rating, 11.2 win shares, 20.0 player efficiency rating, and a career-best assist rate around 27.0 percent. It’s hard to top this season, especially on the defensive end of the floor, from Noah in 2013-14.