Chicago Bulls: How Joakim Noah Can Shake out of His Funk

Easily the biggest disappointment thus far into the season for the Chicago Bulls has been the slump of starting center Joakim Noah. In a reduced 26.5 minutes per game, Joakim is averaging merely 6.7 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game and shooting a paltry 39 percent from the field. In addition, his defense hasn't been there, and his intangibles have suffered greatly. 

It is absolutely clear Joakim Noah is not playing up to his potential.

However, there are a few ways that he can improve his game. 

The first thing we have to consider is that Noah is not in game shape. Even though he likely worked hard over the summer, Noah is the type who needs to play himself into game shape. Even last year when Noah hurt his hand, he had the ability to run and keep himself in shape. Despite that, it still took him time to work himself back into game shape. 

To counter this, head coach Tom Thibodeau should play Noah more, even if it hurts the team's immediate production. At the moment, backup center Omer Asik is the more valuable player at times, but it is more important for Noah to return to being himself than for the Bulls to win some regular-season games. I'd be willing for Chicago lose a few games if it gives the team a motivated Noah during the playoffs. 

Noah has also fallen prey to one of the most common problems for players who just signed new contracts: He's not playing like the player who earned that contract. I would imagine in Noah's head, he sees his salary has quadrupled from last year to this year and believes he needs to quadruple his game to match. 

This could not be more false.

The player Noah was last year is a player worth the money he is being paid. No one expects him to develop a baby hook or handle the ball; all the Bulls want him to do is defend, rebound and run. These are the three tenets that got him paid, and they are the three things he should worry about right now. 

The final thing Noah needs to do is avoid getting into early foul trouble. When he gets into foul trouble early in the game, it messes with his emotions and limits his productivity on the court. Noah is a guy who thrives on playing off his emotions. When he gets into trouble early, he gets frustrated and his production suffers. 

Now is not the time to panic. I have seen countless opinions and articles saying the Bulls need to hurry and trade Noah or they need to cut or amnesty him, but give the man some time! The Bulls are sitting on top of the Eastern Conference despite their MVP missing two games already and their starting front court struggling to play together.

If Joakim Noah can figure it all out, the Bulls could be unstoppable.