Joakim Noah Is the Perfect Center for the Chicago Bulls

Joakim Noah didn't look like the perfect fit for the Chicago Bulls after being drafted ninth overall out of Florida in 2007, but that's exactly what he's become for the team.

When the Bulls invested in Noah's hard-nosed style of play, many eyebrows were raised across the league because the center was selected off the board in such a high slot.

While Noah's game certainly won't "wow" anyone, he provides an element of toughness that the Bulls really feed off of and that has proven to be instrumental in his ascension as a player.

Despite being continually challenged down low, Noah has shown an unwillingness to back down from anyone that comes into his lane, and that style of play has made him a force beneath the basket.

Although the knock on Noah coming out of school was that he didn't have a very high ceiling, Noah has improved with every single season he's spent in the NBA, and the five-year, $60 million pact that he inked prior to the season beginning is an illustration that the Bulls feel the same way.

With Derrick Rose leading the offensive attack, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer comprise more than a potent overall approach for the Bulls, and they certainly don't need a center that necessitates touches in the post.

Noah's offensive game is predicated on cleaning up after his teammates and making his living around the rim. A true throwback center, Noah's defense-first mindset is not only refreshing, it's a quality of this team that should ensure continued success in the future.

It's going to be really interesting to see where Noah's career goes from this point, because most fans aren't in the business of appreciating a defensively oriented center anymore. However, Noah's contributions are not solely on defense.

With a career field-goal percentage of 51.6 and a mark of 71.4 percent from the charity stripe, Noah has proven to be solid (even if he is unspectacular) on the offensive side of the ball as well.

There's no doubt that there is value in Noah's game, as the Nuggets made overtures in acquiring him as the linchpin of the failed Carmelo Anthony trade, and it would be surprising to see a regression from the promising young man at this point.

The team clearly hit the nail on the head when selecting Noah, and they should remain very happy with his production for the length of his contract assuming that he can stay healthy.