Chicago Bulls: Has Joakim Noah Returned to Form?

With Luol Deng finally adding NBA All-Star to his resume, many of us wondered how would he, and the rest of the team, would handle the newly received recognition? Injuries have plagued the roster for quite a while, and now Deng will be expected to raise his level of play, when in all fairness it is the team that must step up.

Will the Chicago Bulls rise to the challenge?

Joakim Noah is trending upwards in the eyes of Bulls fans, and his strong play could not have come at a better time with Derrick Rose nursing a bad back. You can suggest that his return to form is an anomaly that will soon pass, or a sign of things to come, but either way I think that it is great for the Bulls at this stage.

Noah started the season in constant foul trouble and struggled with every facet of his game—rebounding, defending and energy all were down. Noah appeared lost and out of basketball shape, despite the added muscle that he put on in the offseason. As a result, he was benched, in favor of Omer Asik, in the fourth quarter and whispers began about whether the Bulls should use their amnesty allowance to cut bait.

The power of double-doubles is amazing in basketball, where few players are capable night-in and night-out. We can have confidence in knowing that Joakim Noah can provide just that.

After he sat out the Bobcats' game on January 21, Noah has scored double-digits in points in 11 of 13 games, averaging 13 points in the month of February alone. He has surpassed Carlos Boozer as the Bulls' leading rebounder, and he has made 27 out of 29 free throws this month, including going 8 for 9 from the line in his last game.

I firmly believe that Noah has found his groove on the floor, and his popularity has rose as a result of his recent appearance on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption.

This is the player we expected once he signed his contract extension. Perhaps, if anyone would consider his declaration about the pressures he faced while trying to live up to his contract on January 31, you will not have to look any further for the motivation behind Noah’s resurgence.

If this version of Noah is the one that the Bulls will see for the remainder of the season, then the Bulls should be viewed as favorites to win it all, period!