Bold Predictions for Joakim Noah's 2014-15 Season
It’s hard to believe that Joakim Noah had a breakout season in 2013-14 considering that he has long been respected as one of the league’s fiercest competitors and best defenders.
However, the hardware and accolades the seven-year veteran racked up catapulted him into the elite echelon of NBA players. He was selected as an All-Star for the second consecutive time, made the All-NBA first team and the NBA All-Defensive first team and won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Not too shabby.
With superstar Derrick Rose out due to another knee injury last year, Noah took the reins as team leader. Head coach Tom Thibodeau restructured his offense around the big man, and basketball fans were treated to a beautiful evolution in the center's game.
For this upcoming campaign, the former Florida Gator has Rose back and a great frontcourt complement in trooper Pau Gasol. Those players, along with the supporting cast, put the Chicago Bulls back on the cusp of championship contention and positions Noah to have another abundantly productive run.
He'll Average Six Assists Per Game
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Noah dished out 5.4 assists over the course of the last season. Now, one could argue the valid point that it was, in large part, due to Thibodeau instituting a high-post set to encourage more ball movement, a decision that made the starting center more of a facilitator. Thus the bump in dimes dished.
With the return of the 2011 MVP and the addition of another prolific passing big in Gasol, it also stands to reason that the high post will no longer be the primary half-court sequence. The ball could be taken out of Noah’s hands, adversely impacting his expediting duties.
As discouraging as those factors seem, they will actually be the reason Noah’s assist average improves.
Thibodeau’s formation that put the near 7-footer in the role of playmaker was eventually exposed by the Washington Wizards during the first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs. It would be foolish to rely on that strategy, especially since the team is so much more talented.
Still, Noah will make gains because of the coach’s affinity for passing big men in general and the slashers and shooters who will be on the floor.
He will be able to occupy his position in a more traditional manner and have his choice to make a move, hit a cutting player or find an open marksman. Noah is definitely a smart enough player to use this arrangement to his advantage and excel at setting up his teammates.
He’ll Be a Starter for the 2015 Eastern Conference All-Stars
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Noah’s selection to his first All-Star team back in 2013 was probably one part acknowledgement of his value to his Bulls team and one part being better than Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, the only other quality big man in the conference behind Chris Bosh.
There was no denying him the tribute in 2014 as he was on an absolute tear, taking on new responsibilities and helping his team maintain a winning record, but he still missed out on being starter.
Noah’s absence from the East’s first unit was just a matter of not receiving enough votes. It seemed like the elective were still enamored with Miami Heat’s star-studded trio, selecting Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James as top-five representatives.
With South Beach entering its post-Hollywood era, the focus can and should shift back to the overall quality of the talent, not stable affiliation.
Noah is the best big in the Eastern Conference and arguably the top center in the NBA. He affects almost every facet of the game. Now that the talent on that side of the Mississippi is more evenly distributed, he will get his just due.
He’ll Repeat as Defensive Player of the Year
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The list of winners for the NBA’s best defensive players is dominated by power forwards and centers. Since its inception in the 1982-83 season, only five guards have ever earned the title. Numerous big men have won the distinction more than once, and Noah will join their ranks.
This is a bold assertion considering that dominant Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka is waiting in the wings to lay claim to a prize he could have and should have won on multiple occasions, but the sensational Congolese shot-blocker will play Susan Lucci to Noah’s Erika Slezak for the 2015 crown.
One can look at blocked shots to argue favor, as Ibaka has averaged 3.1 blocks per game over the last three seasons to Noah’s 1.7, but that’s not the whole story.
Chicago’s middle man does so many other things well. He can rebound, guard smaller players on the perimeter and force steals. His defensive repertoire is too vast to deny. Noah’s versatility will ensure he is not dethroned.
He’ll Remain in the MVP Conversation
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There is no question that Rose’s absence over the last two seasons forced Noah‘s hand as franchise leader both emotionally and statistically. He led the team in rebounds, assists and blocks. He was also fourth in scoring and second in steals.
This type for productivity from a center is not common in the current NBA era and was enough to earn him a fourth-place finish in the MVP voting.
With Rose returning, some might assume that Noah will just fade back into a lieutenant role and let the native son do the driving. But the emotive center has indelibly stamped this club with his grit and perseverance over the last two years.
While the team will rightfully welcome back its prodigal son with open arms and free rein to dominate, Noah will remain an integral part of the scheme and success.
As the newly retooled Bulls take their former place atop the Eastern Conference, he will replicate his high level of production from the 2013-14 run and show that his evolution was a sincere happening and not a circumstantial occurrence.
Chicago’s win total is sure to increase thanks to Rose being back on the floor, but the drum by which the team is going to march will be beaten by Noah. He will again demonstrate his importance to the franchise and keep his name in the Most Valuable Player debate.
Joakim Noah Isn't Going to Change
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That means the twister shooting form is here to stay, but even that is fitting to the kind of player Noah is.
A lot of what he does is unconventional and far from pretty. However, he is effective and always positively contributes to the desired result.
This team has been following Noah’s lead for two years now, and it is not too fanciful to think that he will continue to have a huge leadership role even with Rose back in the fold.
These predictions are lofty in some places but attainable in others, yet they are all plausible. Noah’s work ethic, dedication and will to do whatever it takes to help his team put him on a level very few other NBA players are on.
He isn’t even in it for the individual accolades. This is a player who brushed off MVP chants when he was playing like one. The short-term goal is to win games. The long-term goal is to win championships.
Even if all of these predictions fall through, the Bulls players can’t go wrong taking cues from Noah.
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