Friday, September 7, 2007

The Good, the Bad, the Joakim Noah


Let's face it...we won't see this guy on the cover of GQ anytime soon. Some people say it's the hair; others say it's his face. No one knows why F/C Joakim Noah looks this way, but at least people recognize him. And if you think his look is ugly, you should see his Shawn Marion-esque jump shot. But I don't think Bulls head coach Scott Skiles plans on using Noah for his "shooting abilities."

Scott Skiles is all about team basketball. You don't see this much now in the NBA, but I believe that the Chicago Bulls are the best example of team basketball. This is what Noah brings to the table. He was a part of the two-time National Championship winners, the Florida Gators. Noah has experience on how to be a part of a true team. Some say the Bulls should have gone with Washington C Spencer Hawes. I disagree. Hawes may possess a better post presence, but he is still lacking in defense. What Noah lacks in the post, he makes up for with outstanding effort and defense. Noah fights for every rebound, dives for the occasional loose ball, and is a block waiting to happen. I know, I know...the Bulls already have those things covered by Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas. The fact of the matter is that we know what Noah can do. Noah's fantastic finish his sophomore year in the NCAA tournament showed that he really has some kind of an offense. Maybe his junior year wasn't as stat-filled as his sophomore year, but he still got a championship out of it.

The Bulls had a hell of a second round in the draft. In my opinion, Pittsburgh C Aaron Grey was a late round steal. Give him a couple of years, he might be the next Luc Longley. One of the premiere centers in college, Grey brings the size the Bulls lack down low. And after seeing people repeatedly eating their testicles on Fear Factor, bulls usually don't lack in size in down low. But back to what I was saying...another second round pick was Oklahoma State G JamesOn Curry. I admit that I don't know much about him, but I did see that triple overtime thriller against Kevin Durant and the Texas Longhorns, which was in my opinion the greatest college game that I have seen. Curry put up 28 points, along with 9 rebounds. He will find himself on the bench most the season behind fellow benchmen, Chris Duhon and Thabo Sefolosha. But he will get his chance to play...eventually...when it's a blowout...probably against the Pacers.

All these guys have to remember that the Bulls are a true team and that they must learn to follow before they can lead. The rookies are behind a great non-all-star cast starring Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, and Andres Nocioni. Noah will get in his minutes (as in greater than 1, but less than 10), Grey will be able to at least put his feet on the floor every so often, and Curry will enjoy watching the game just like me...except against the Pacers...he will probably play.
I leave you with this. Enjoy!

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