Just one year removed from winning Defensive Player of the Year and finishing fourth in MVP voting, Joakim Noah is coming off a down season. He had surgery on his left knee last May that was more serious than initially believed, and spent most of the season limited to between 30 and 32 minutes per game. With the Bulls retaining essentially the same roster as last season, a lot depends on Noah having a bounceback year.
Speaking at an event for his Noah’s Arc Foundation, he sounded ready to get back on the court.
Via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
Noah on his health: "Last year was very humbling. I feel hungrier than ever and ready to prove I can help this team win big."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 1, 2015
Noah also weighed in on recently-fired Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and his replacement, Fred Hoiberg:
Noah on Thibs: "He's a great coach. I learned a lot from him. I only have good things to say about him. I'm looking forward to new chapter."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 1, 2015
Noah said Hoiberg visited him in California, where Noah is training this offseason: "I enjoyed vibing with him."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 1, 2015
In addition to Noah’s health, Hoiberg needs to figure out the Bulls’ frontcourt rotation. Noah and Pau Gasol didn’t have a lot of success playing together last season, and that will go double in an uptempo offense like the one Hoiberg wants to run. For the Bulls to reach their ceiling, one of them will likely have to be willing to come off the bench. And if Noah is healthy, that will make things easier to sort out.