Joakim Noah - an invaluable piece in the Chicago Bulls system

Joakim Noah

It is time the Chicago Bulls management took note of the skill-set of versatile big man Joakim Noah and wrote his name down alongside injured superstar Derrick Rose in their long-term plans for the franchise. Often not given his share of praise, Noah is currently the most under-rated player in the league.

Drafted ninth overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Noah is averaging 12 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season. His play has seen a huge improvement since Rose’s first injury in Game 1 in the first round of the 2012 Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.

A two-time NCAA champion with the Florida Gators, he was selected by the coaches to be an All-Star reserve the past two years and was named in the NBA All-Defensive first team last year. In his third year of a five-year contract with the Bulls, Noah’s persistent work on the glass coupled with his improved passing has made him an invaluable piece for the Bulls on both ends of the floor.

Noah’s play is a huge reason behind the Bulls above .500 record of 33-27. An insight into his contribution to the Bulls on both ends of the floor will make it clear why he should be on the rebuilding plans alongside Rose.

On defence

The Bulls defence relies heavily on fundamentals such as playing ice or drop on screen and roll, denying middle penetration and allowing their opponents the least efficient shot in the game – the midrange jump shot.

Noah has adopted all these defensive philosophies of Coach Thibodeau’s to his game, and now seems to be a perfect fit in the system.

His post play is another aspect of the game which gives Noah the upper hand over his opponents on most nights. He can shut down the opposing centres by fronting the post on most occasions or standing his ground when the opponents go to work.

Ice is a system where the team forces their opponents to drive towards the baseline right into the team’s big man, while drop is a system adopted by the team where on screen and roll, the big man sags off and keeps the guard in front of him till the defender returns after fighting over the screen.

For a 6 foot 11 inch forward, Noah is very athletic and possesses the unique skill of keeping smaller guards in front of him during a switch, making him one of the best, if not the best, pick and roll defender in the league when the Bulls play ice. His help in defence, not given much credit, is often the reason for the opponents running back without scoring a bucket.

Here are a couple of clips showing his ability to keep the smaller guards ahead of him and making their shot as difficult as possible.

http://youtu.be/JqA5gKFRisw

http://youtu.be/ztWwnzEbXTE

On offence

On a defence-minded team missing a superstar like Derrick Rose offence is hard to come by, and irrespective of the regular season record that will come back to bite them in the back come Playoff time. In such a system the passing and play-making ability of big man Noah is a huge asset.

He is the only player to register a triple double of 20-10-10 in points, rebounds, blocks, and at the same time shoot 65% from the field in a 93-82 win against Philadelphia 76ers.

He also has four other triple doubles in points, rebounds and assists, the latest coming against the New York Knicks where he registered 13 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. The 14 assists are the most ever by a Bulls centre and the most by a NBA centre since 1986.

A major portion of assists come off outlet passes to the spot-up shooter on the perimeter from the post. Noah’s incredible ball-handling skills also account for a fair share of his assists. His passing has become a major part of the Bulls offence. In his first six seasons he registered over 10+ assists three times, and since February the 6th he has crossed the mark four times. That speaks volumes of his importance and involvement in the offence.

Noah’s energy and passion on the court cannot be taken lightly and are certainly something that as a franchise you want to pass to the present younger players like Tony Snell, Chicago’s pick in the 2013 Draft, as well as the future incoming players.

As and when Rose makes his return, Noah’s role with the team will not change. Instead, he would only help make the return a little easier than it was the last time around.