http://tinyurl.com/myqdx6o

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

On the evolution of Joakim Noah, one of the best and most unique players in the NBA
By Ricky O'Donnell | @SBN_Ricky on Feb 24 2014, 1:09p

Noah turns 29 tomorrow. Let's celebrate him today.

First, Joakim Noah was a pest. When Florida unexpectedly made a national championship run in 2006 behind three future NBA lottery picks, Noah was the Gators' most visible player for reasons that went beyond the court. He taunted and he danced and he never stopped coming at you -- the combination of his histrionics, motor and unwieldy appearance made him one of the most reviled college basketball players of the last decade, right up there with Tyler Hansbrough and J.J. Redick.

Next, Noah was just an energy guy. When pitted against Spencer Hawes as two of the best center prospects in the 2007 draft, Hawes was considered the player with polish. Where Hawes had refined offensive skill, Noah was an unharnessed ball of activity. Noah would have to get by on his athleticism, it was thought, because his skill level left a lot to be desired.

Finally, Noah became a defensive anchor under Tom Thibodeau. He held the title of great defensive big man, capable of locking down the paint and calling the shots for one of the best units in the NBA. Still, people noticed his ugly jumpshot and lack of a pure low post game and saw something less than a two-way force.

Noah's evolution from where he began to where he is today has been a joy to watch. A reputation is a dangerous thing, and for years most of the country saw a player who had funny hair, wore a weird suit to the draft and shot free throws with the rotation of a knuckleball. Now we know better, know that Joakim Noah is one of the most gifted two-way big men in the NBA with a skillset as unique as any player in the league.

Don't be fooled by the spin on his jumper or the outdated beliefs about what a big man is supposed to be. Joakim Noah is a lethal offensive weapon, the best offensive player on the Bulls and type of center the NBA may not see again for a long time. He's a rim protector and a floor general, a leading rebounder and a point center. As Noah turns 29 years old tomorrow, it's time to appreciate him now.

On Wednesday, Noah paced the Bulls on both ends of the floor in a road win over the Toronto Raptors. He became the first center since Vlade Divac in 1996 to finish with at least 13 assists in a game, something that's only been achieved three times since 1985-86. He threw behind-the-back passes in transition, fed cutters out of the high post; he corralled rebounds, saw where his teammates were on the floor and hit them in stride for easy buckets. It was the type of thing you do not see very often, unless you watch Joakim Noah every night. For all of the angst and anxiety that's dominated the air around the Bulls the last three seasons, Noah's ascent has been the biggest silver lining.

Noah didn't develop into the best passing big man in the NBA until Derrick Rose went down, when the Bulls were forced out of necessity to run the offense through their center. It worked as well as they could have hoped, as Noah finished tied with Marc Gasol for the most assists per game by a center and improved his assist rate from 12.7 in 2012 to 17.6 in 2013. With Rose sidelined again this year, and without ball dominant players like Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson on the roster, Noah has taken another sizable step forward in his development as a playmaker.

What Noah is doing right now is basically unheard of. He's averaging 6.2 assists per game in February, which is the 21st best mark in the league. He's lapping the field in terms of assists by centers -- with an average of 4.5 assists per game, he's blowing No. 2 in that category (Hawes with 3.3 assists per game) out of the water. His 245 assists are the most on the Bulls and it's not particularly close -- D.J. Augustin is 36 behind and Kirk Hinrich trails by 43.

Noah's assists rate is now all the way up to 23.2, which is essentially unparalleled (http://bkref.com/tiny/bH6S6) in the modern history of the league. Kevin Love gets a lot of attention for his highlight reel outlet passes, but even he isn't as good at setting teammates up for baskets according to the numbers. There's no one like Noah, really. Per Player Tracking available at NBA.com, Noah is No. 15 overall in total touches this season, ahead of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George and Mike Conley ((http://stats.nba.com/playerTrackingTouches.html?pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25&sortField=TCH_TOT&sortOrder=DES)). In terms of passes per game, Noah is No. 14 overall at 61.9, leading all big men. Love is the only other frontcourt player in the top 25 (http://stats.nba.com/playerTrackingPassing.html?pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25&sortField=PASS&sortOrder=DES).

That Noah does all of this while captaining the league's No. 2 defense is what's really impressive. Oh, Noah is sixth in rebounding, too. He affects the game in more ways than just about any player who isn't considered a superstar.

Of course, we know better. We know Noah is one of the 25 best players in this league, and that's a conservative estimate. He's probably top 15. A two-way center is the hardest thing to find in the NBA and one of the toughest ideals to locate in all of sports, right up their with a franchise quarterback and power-hitting shortstop. That's the type of rare beast the Bulls have in Joakim Noah.

As Noah heads for the last few years of his prime, it's important not to take for granted where he's at and where's he's been. You don't just find another Joakim Noah. Rose was always targeted as the franchise savior, but Noah has occupied that role better than anyone could have hoped while Derrick has been out. He's the reason the defense is so good, and the reason the offense has a pulse at all. There's lots of good guards in this league, but there aren't many players like Noah.

As has been a trend throughout his entire career, Joakim Noah just keeps getting better. When it comes to building a championship roster, the Bulls have the hardest piece to find already in place.

http://www.blogabull.com/2014/2/24/5442668/joakim-noah-stats-age-chicago-bulls

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

Is Joakim Noah a league MVP contender?
by Sam Smith
MAR 3

We don�t expect Joakim Noah to say it like Derrick Rose did a few years back, though there was nothing wrong with that. But why can�t Joakim Noah be the NBA�s Most Valuable Player?

Which is what we all thought when Rose said so before the 2010-11 NBA season.

C�mon, are you serious?

But as the Bulls were preparing to play the Brooklyn Nets Monday, Noah was one of the big stories of the NBA after Sunday�s nationally televised win over the Knicks when Noah dominated with one of the great triple-doubles for a big man ever, 13 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists.

TNT broadcaster Steve Kerr on Sirius NBA radio Monday said Noah could be the third best player in the NBA.

Sure, no one is saying Noah is better than LeBron James or Kevin Durant.

But if you are picking your team now, whom would you select after them?

Would you take Dwight Howard over Noah? A few seasons ago for sure. But now?

Consider the top players in the NBA and those likely to be among the top five in MVP voting: Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

Are you absolutely certain you�d want one of them over Noah?

�You get into that debate what is it (MVP),� said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau before Monday�s game. �Is it the most valuable player in the league? What a guy does for his team? Is it the winning component? To me, what Jo is doing for the team. That�s why I was so pleased with him being named to the All-Star team. Because statistically you can look at it and they�re (stats) good, but it�s his ability to lift a team up.�

Noah�s helped do so for the Bulls, who came into Monday�s game with a league best 21 wins since January 1st and second to the Pacers at 21-8. Noah is averaging 12.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists for the season.

But here�s a look at some of his milestones:

� Only three players since 1990-91 have averaged those numbers over a full season, Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett (who was not playing Monday) and Anthony Mason;

� Noah broke the franchise record for assists in a game Sunday that he shared with Nate Thurmond;

� Noah�s 14 assists were the most by a starting center since Sam Lacey in 1978-79;

� Noah leads the Bulls in assists and in the last 25 years, only three centers, Vlade Divac and David Robinson, Brad Miller have done so at the All-Star break;

� Since Noah�s rookie season in 2007-08, only Pau Gasol has as many triple doubles as Noah among centers;

� Noah has double digit rebounds in 28 of his last 31 games and in leading the team in assists is on pace to be the first to do so since David Robinson in 1993-94.

Noah suffered an ankle sprain in Sunday�s game. But Thibodeau said Noah is playing Monday and has few after effects.

�More importantly is what he is doing for the team,� said Thibodeau. �Anytime you get somebody who can pass the way he�s been passing, what it does it makes everyone else better. When you have the skill set of a big who can play away from the basket and create easy offense it�s a big plus.

�There�s a lot of things he�s doing just as well,� said Thibodeau. �He�s having a terrific season. Each year he�s gotten better; he strives for improvement and he�s not satisfied.

�Some aspects you look at his jump shot and you can pick that apart,� noted Thibodeau. �The ball goes in and he wins. That�s the most important thing. I think he�s starting to be recognized for that and guys love playing with a guy like that. It makes the game fun. It�s about winning. He helps on defense, guards his own guy, rebounds the ball; he�ll get it out quick and he wants to make the right play on offense. His screening is much improved. His rolling to the basket is much improved. He�s always had good vision and always been a good passer, but he�s making much quicker decisions.�

And now, surprisingly enough, post season award voters will have some decisions to make they never much expected.

http://blogs.bulls.com/2014/03/is-joakim-noah-a-league-mvp-contender/


...


Should Noah receive some MVP votes?
By Nick Friedell | ESPNChicago.com
MAR 4 1:40 PM CT

NEW YORK -- Should Joakim Noah be considered in the MVP conversation?

The mere fact that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau entertained that question before Monday's game shows how much Noah's game has developed over the last two seasons, especially this one. With LeBron James and Kevin Durant playing at their usual high level, few, if any around the league are wondering whether Noah should actually be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

But in a year in which the Bulls lost Derrick Rose to another knee injury and traded away Luol Deng, the argument could be made that Noah could at least receive some votes at season's end.

"You get into that debate about -- what is it?," Thibodeau said. "Is it the most valuable player in the league? Is it what a guy does for his team? Is it the winning component of it? To me, it's what Jo's doing for the team, and that's why I was so pleased with him being named to the All-Star team because statistically you could look at it and they're good, but it's his ability to lift a team up. Some aspects, you look at his jump shot and you could pick that apart, but the ball goes in. And he wins, that's the most important thing."

There's no question about that. Noah won two national titles at the University of Florida and has been a key cog in the Bulls' resurgence over the last few years. He's made it his mission this season to make fans remember this Bulls team because of the way so many pundits and fans gave up on them after the injury to Rose and the Deng trade. He is fueled by the motivation that his doubters provide and that passion has permeated throughout the Bulls locker room.

"So it's all the things he's doing for the team," Thibodeau said. "And I think he's starting to be recognized for that. And guys love playing with a guy like that. It makes the game fun. It's about winning and his defense, he helps on defense, he guards his own guy, he rebounds the ball, he'll get it out quick. And then he wants to make the right play on offense. I think his screening is much improved, his rolling to the basket is much improved. And his ability -- he's always had good vision, he's always been a good passer, but he's making much quicker decisions and that's probably his biggest area of improvement."

So is that a yes for MVP consideration?

Thibodeau finally said it was, but he's been around the league long enough to know that Noah doesn't have the type of eye-popping offensive stats that usually sway voters, although he has racked up the biggest numbers of his career this season, averaging 12 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game. He's also earned praise throughout the league for his play. TNT analyst, and former Bulls' guard, Steve Kerr, tweeted recently that aside from LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Noah would be the guy he would want on his team in a Game 7 on the road.

New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony praised Noah after Sunday's game saying that the All-Star center is the "quarterback" for the Bulls and that his teammates fed off him. That's been a common refrain from players and coaches throughout the NBA this season.

"He's an All-Star in this league," Anthony said. "He's proven himself for what he can do. Hell of a defender, great passer, great leader out there, vocal leader. I think he's the spirit of that team."

Thibodeau feels the same way. Without Noah buying into Thibodeau's system, the Bulls wouldn't be winning the way that they have over the past two months. He knows that Noah sets the tone, on and off the floor, and the rest of his teammates follow.

Noah is averaging 12.7 points, 11 rebounds and six assists a game since Feb. 1, and the Bulls are 11-6 during that stretch.

"Any time you can get somebody to pass the way he's been passing -- what it does is it makes everyone else better," Thibodeau said. "That's why when you have a skillset of a big that can play away from the basket and create easy offense, it's a huge plus."

Noah is trying to take his recent great play in stride. After dealing with foot problems off and on for the past few years, he has stayed healthy throughout much of this season. He doesn't care much for personal accolades, but he does appreciate them. Still, after all his success in college, Noah knows that a player is ultimately judged on how many championships they win. Votes for the MVP award would be nice, but they wouldn't be as sweet as an NBA title to Noah.

"Everybody knows what this team is going through," Noah said recently. "Playing without our best player. And we feel like we've come so close to getting that ring so right now our mentality is we just want to get better, play in those big games, and do everything we can to play the best basketball possible so that when our young boy comes back we're ready. I want a ring. I want a ring so bad. And I know that one day our time will come."

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bulls/post/_/id/18044/should-noah-receive-some-mvp-votes

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

>when Noah
>dominated with one of the great triple-doubles for a big man
>ever, 13 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

http://bkref.com/tiny/mikBb

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

Rank em by assists if you want but 37 points, 13 boards, 12 assists >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 13 points, 12 boards, and 14 assists all day every day.

You know what I meant.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

it's the highest ever assist total for a center in a triple double game. hence, "one of the great triple-doubles for a big man ever". it's noteworthy.

he didn't say "THE best". what exactly are you taking issue with?

>37 points, 13 boards, 12 assists >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 13 points, 12 boards, and 14 assists all day every day.

of course it is. who suggested otherwise?

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

Joakim Noah, Bulls receiving national recognition
By JayPatt  @Bulls_Jay on Mar 5 2014, 9:07a

In case you didn't know, Joakim Noah is awesome.

Monday night's game in Brooklyn was a major dud, but prior to that, the Bulls had been playing their best ball of the season. Nine wins in 10 games, the typical elite defense and some surprisingly efficient offense. It has been fun to watch the Bulls again!

There have been plenty of contributors to this great stretch, but of course, the biggest one of them all is Joakim Noah. Mr. Stick Stickity himself has been brilliant since the Luol Deng trade, basically willing the Bulls out of the depths and right into the hunt for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

For the last several years, Noah has been best known for his defense and rebounding. Noah's ability to defend pick-and-roll makes him a perfect fit to man the middle of Tom Thibodeau's scheme, and his rebounding on both ends has always been valuable. His offensive rebounding is especially useful, as he creates so many extra possessions for a team that often strains to score points.

But what has made Noah stand out this year is his passing. With Derrick Rose out, the Bulls run a ton of offense through Noah, and his precision passing makes him extremely dangerous in the high post. The Knicks found out the hard way on Sunday, as Noah and the Bulls carved them up over and over again on backdoor cuts. It of course helped that the Knicks have basically phoned in the season, but still.

Noah's play has certainly not gone unnoticed, and he's starting to get a ton of pub nationally. Grantland's Zach Lowe just named him starting center and co-captain of his "Marc Gasol All-Star Team," which basically consists of the non-obvious players Lowe loves watching the most (i.e. no LeBron or KD). Lowe calls Noah an "inspiration" and talks a bit about that exquisite passing:


"But there is something very right with this team and its culture, and among the players, that begins with Noah's selfless excellence. Chicago is 19-9 since the Deng trade, and its mechanical offense has actually scored at an above-average rate over the team's current 9-2 stretch.

Noah has been one of the game's great big-man passers for years, but what he's doing now is ridiculous. He's averaging about six assists per game over the last two months, and for the season, he has assisted on 23 percent of Chicago's baskets while on the floor. Noah would become just the 11th player 6-foot-10 or taller to record an assist rate that high, per Basketball-Reference. He's zipping the ball to backdoor cutters, pitching it to guys popping off screens, and lofting Taj Gibson pinpoint high-low dishes. He might be Chicago's best transition ball handler."


Lowe concluded by stating Noah should be in contention for Defensive Player of the Year, and that he also should possibly be considered for the lower spots on five-man MVP ballots. Bill Simmons agreed with Lowe on a recent "B.S. Report," stating that Noah would be fourth on his MVP ballot.

Simmons was really effusive in his praise of Noah, also saying the big man should be the first-team All-NBA center, and that it's "not even a debate." Considering Dwight Howard is still living and playing his best basketball since his Orlando days, I think that's a bit of a bold statement. But Noah should definitely at least be in the conversation for that first-team All-NBA spot.

On a brief aside, Simmons and Lowe continued the Taj Gibson for Sixth Man of the Year campaign, with both guys saying Gibson should win the award. They also talked briefly about the Bulls in general, and although a second-round exit was predicted, it was emphasized that the Heat or Pacers would catch some hell in that second round.

But back to Noah. ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell had a big "Should Noah receive some MVP votes?" column on Tuesday, with quotes from both Tom Thibodeau and Carmelo Anthony. Melo called Noah the "quarterback" of the Bulls, while Thibs obviously gushed about his All-Star:


"So it's all the things he's doing for the team," Thibodeau said. "And I think he's starting to be recognized for that. And guys love playing with a guy like that. It makes the game fun. It's about winning and his defense, he helps on defense, he guards his own guy, he rebounds the ball, he'll get it out quick. And then he wants to make the right play on offense. I think his screening is much improved, his rolling to the basket is much improved. And his ability -- he's always had good vision, he's always been a good passer, but he's making much quicker decisions and that's probably his biggest area of improvement."


Finally, we get to Steve Kerr's tweet/comments. As the Bulls were finishing off their demolition of the Knicks, Kerr dropped this bomb on Twitter:


If I had to pick 1 player to play a Game 7 on the road, I'd take LeBron 1st, KD 2nd and Joakim Noah 3rd. Noah is an amazing player/winner.
https://twitter.com/SteveKerrTNT/statuses/440219555437109248


Now this seems kind of crazy, although Noah did have an outrageous Game 7 on the road against the Nets last year. 24 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks on a bum foot. Pretty great stuff. I still don't know if I agree with Kerr's sentiment, but he made his case on Chicago sports radio Tuesday:


"I think the point is the first two are really obvious," Kerr said Tuesday on "The Carmen & Jurko Show" on ESPN Chicago 1000. "The next one is pretty hard to pick and there's a lot of guys you can make a great argument for: Paul George, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin. But the reason I like Noah is that in a playoff game it's all about possessions. You want to get extra possessions because usually games come down to two or three plays here and there. If you can get a few extra possessions it's huge.

"I just feel like for what Noah does at both ends of the floor -- rim protection defensively, pick-and-roll defense in an era where you're facing 50 picks-and-rolls a night with incredible guards, switching out on the guards, staying in front of them and forcing tough shots and the assists at the other end, running the offense through him and the offensive boards and the touch around the basket and his ability to score."


Kerr went on to talk about the fire and the passion and all that good stuff, and while those attributes can sometimes be overrated, they aren't when it comes to Noah. It truly has been inspirational how Noah has lifted up the Bulls this season, and while I can't concur with Kerr's original statement, I absolutely do believe the eccentric big man deserves some MVP recognition this year as long as things don't go down the drain.

http://www.blogabull.com/2014/3/5/5471904/joakim-noah-bulls-national-recognition-mvp

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

How Joakim Noah Is Keeping Chicago Bulls Alive
By Jared Dubin, Featured Columnist Mar 4, 2014

It seems rather timely to be heaping praise on Joakim Noah so soon after what was likely his best game of the season. On Sunday against the New York Knicks, Noah recorded 13 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists, becoming the first center to notch 14 or more dimes in a game since at least 1985, according to Basketball-Reference.

The truth, though, is that Noah has been on an entirely other level for quite some time now. His per-game averages this season of 12.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game have been matched only 12 times (http://bkref.com/tiny/sg97P) in the history of the NBA.

You may recognize the names of the only players who are in his elite company�Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Sam Lacey and Kevin Garnett. Only Kareem has accomplished the feat at or after age 28, as Noah is on track to do this season.

With the Bulls foundering at a 14-18 record on January 7, Gar Forman and John Paxson decided to ship stalwart forward Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum's non-guaranteed salary.

Since then, Noah has operated on a plane that did not previously exist and has led the Bulls to a 19-9 record that ranks ninth-best in the NBA and has moved them within half a game of third place in the Eastern Conference.

He's averaging 13.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game since Deng was traded, according to Basketball-Reference � numbers that have never been matched (http://bkref.com/tiny/i1C9B) over the course of a full season.

Noah is also grabbing 20.1 percent of available rebounds and assisting on 27.4 percent of his teammates' baskets while on the floor since the Deng trade, a feat that has also never been matched, with only Kevin Garnett (http://bkref.com/tiny/K7Rvy) coming close.

In mid-January, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Noah, "Joakim is doing just about everything. Laundry, everything. You can't play any better than he is playing right now in every aspect of the game. The defense has been there all season. The rebounding, off the charts. The playmaking, the decisions, the multiple effort�he sets the tone for our team," according to Mike McGraw of The Daily Herald.

With Derrick Rose out for the second straight season, so much of the Bulls offense is run through Noah via pick-and-rolls or high-post entries. Noah's 62.2 passes per game are second to only Josh McRoberts among forwards and centers, according to the SportVU player tracking data released by the NBA in conjunction with STATS LLC.

To give you an idea of just how much of the offensive load Noah's been shouldering of late, consider this: Entering Monday night's game against the Nets, Noah had notched at least 11 assists four times in his previous 11 games, a feat he had previously accomplished zero times in 442 career games, according to NBA.com/stats.

Noah picked out cutters from his perch near the elbow or along the baseline all game against the Knicks on Sunday�a remarkable display of passing prowess not seen from a center for quite some time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQIoB4eKS3w

Every time the defense stepped up, he simply dropped the ball off to an open teammate. And when no teammates were open, he hit one with a pass that somehow generated an open look anyway. You know how football analysts talk about Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning "throwing a receiver open"? That's what Noah does, too.

He is an expert-level savant at catching the ball on the move on a pick-and-roll, immediately reading the defense and finding the open man�no matter where on the court that man happens to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scRnJePBgLQ

Noah has generated an assist opportunity (a pass to a teammate that leads to a shot which, if made, would result in an assist) on 20.9 percent of his frontcourt touches, which places him in a tie for sixth in the NBA with Andre Iguodala�ranking behind only point guards Ty Lawson, Chris Paul, Ricky Rubio, and Stephen Curry, according to an analysis I did at Bloomberg Sports. (http://www.bsports.com/statsinsights/nba/nbas-best-passers)

As impressive as his offense has been of late, though, it's nothing compared to his import on defense.

Noah might be in the midst of his best defensive season yet, and he's on his way to giving Roy Hibbert a run for his money in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Noah's 4.5 Defensive Win Shares thus far rank second in the NBA only to Paul George, and are 0.3 away from establishing a new career high.

His 96.1 individual defensive rating is remarkable�fifth best in the NBA and one of the 15 best marks of the last five seasons, according to Basketball-Reference.

Chicago has the NBA's second-best defense since the Deng trade, allowing 98.1 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. In the 980 minutes Noah's played since the trade, they've allowed just 96.0 points per 100 possessions, which would be good enough to lead the league were it not for the best defense of all time. (http://hardwoodparoxysm.com/2014/02/26/league-average-adjusted-offensive-defensive-efficiency-rating/)

Noah's combination of interior brilliance and ability to seamlessly match up with perimeter players when caught in a switch makes him a defender like almost no other in the NBA.

He has preposterously long arms and unfairly quick feet, and when paired with a coach and a scheme like Thibodeau's, it becomes almost impossible for opponents to score.

Noah can brilliantly step up to corral a ball-handler coming around the screen near the free-throw line, cutting off a passing lane while giving his teammate just enough time to recover before dropping back and also playing his man near the basket.

There's a reason roll men have shot just 33.3 percent against Noah in screen-roll situations this season, according to mySynergySports (subscription required). He's a master of his trade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W67AAyrEgA

When players go up against Noah at the rim, they do not fare much better. Among the 56 players who have played in at least 40 games and challenged at least 5.0 shots at the rim per game, Noah's 44.6 field-goal percentage allowed on such shots ranks as the fifth-best in the league, according to the SportVU data. (http://tinyurl.com/k8eysj2)

His length, quick-leaping ability and body control allow him to consistently alter and block shots without fouling�a massively important skill for a rim protector.

The Bulls drop from second to eighth in points allowed in the paint per 100 possessions when Noah exits the game, per NBA.com, a testament to his prowess at not only defending the rim, but also keeping opponents away from it altogether.

While 46.4 percent of Chicago's opponents' field-goal attempts have come from inside the paint when Noah's out of the game, only 43.2 percent of them have come from that area when he's been on the floor. The former number would rank tied for 10th-lowest in the NBA, while the latter would place second behind only the Orlando Magic.

Opponents get to the free-throw line over 6.5 percent more often as a percentage of their field-goal attempts with Noah off the court than when he's on in, according to NBA.com, a percentage increase that would drop the Bulls from their perch as the least foul-prone team in the NBA when he's on the floor to one that sits outside the top 10.

And it's not just offense and defense where Noah's excelled this season�he's also turned himself into one of the handful of best rebounders in the NBA. Noah ranks in the top five in rebound chances per game with 18.0 a night, according to SportVU, and his contested-rebound percentage (percentage of rebounds that were contested) ranks seventh among the 26 players averaging at least 15.0 rebound chances per game.

Like Thibodeau said, Noah really is doing it all for the Bulls. His passing, defense, rebounding, intellect, decisions and effort make him the heart and soul of the team. Chicago may have been sagging early on, but it's surging now.

Thanks to Noah's brilliant play, the Bulls are once again looking like a team nobody wants to see come playoff time.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1980271-how-joakim-noah-is-keeping-chicago-bulls-alive

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

He's taking and MAKING that jumper.
Or that small hook he shoots when driving to the basket.
Those points coupled with any offensive rebound tip ins he's getting
and passes he's assisting on?

Yeah, he's my favorite player right now.

https://digife.com

and he's developed into a more complete player (though necessarily a more effective player) than i imagined. his passion, his dontgiveafuckness. i love it.

bonus point for shit talking cleveland. hopefully there is some sort of nba event in buffalo and he doubles down on america's shittiest northern cities.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

probably my favorite Gator bball player of all time.

pure heart and hustle and determination.

Joakim Noah will eat your soul.

*Jews you*

"this is okp tho, reading is completely optional" (c) desus

Proceed with caution. I am overtly racist.

<-- In Pigpen we trust

Passing wasn't exactly a part of Jo's game until Brad came along.

Jo would be the first one to credit Brad, especially on those backdoor passes.

*Jews you*

"this is okp tho, reading is completely optional" (c) desus

Proceed with caution. I am overtly racist.

<-- In Pigpen we trust

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

https://digife.com

the first since david robinson in 93-94.

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

http://i.minus.com/ivmToFm3qkwcG.gif

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2606843/noahtroll_medium.gif

note the avy of course.

https://digife.com

____________

Joakim Noah is keeping the Bulls afloat
By Mike Prada  @MikePradaSBN on Mar 5 2014, 3:41p

It's a testament to the indomitable, inexplicable Chicago Bulls that it's nearly impossible to discuss them without resorting to clich�. They're led by a center who is unselfish, plays every game like it's his last, doesn't care about numbers, shows the heart of a champion and is a throwback to an era in which players played for love of the game instead of a paycheck. Their coach is a firebrand, and his selfless, blue-collar team embodies Chicago toughness, responding in the face of adversity and heroically going to battle despite the odds being stacked against them.

That all tells you nothing, of course. But those phrases, despite being repeated into meaninglessness generations ago, actually make sense where the Bulls are concerned. There really is something inspiring about the way they've rolled through their schedule since trading Luol Deng in what was supposed to be a throw-in-the-towel move. Since the deal, the Bulls are 19-9, despite not having Deng or guard Derrick Rose, and are in prime position for home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference.

And, that laundry list of familiar praise aside, the Bulls certainly have their center to thank. It's easy to love Joakim Noah, but clich�s too often get in the way of substance when discussing his impact. We can say Joakim Noah is a valuable player, but few would go so far as to suggest that he's one of the very most important in the league. But the way he's playing now, there's a case to be made that only LeBron James and Kevin Durant are more essential to their team's success. We might as well make it.

Noah is, of course, an elite defensive player. He can protect the rim, guard an opponent's best player, switch and cover smaller players as needed, roam off his man to clog driving lanes and deter anyone from getting where they want on the pick-and-roll. He's fantastically good at using his arms to aid his feet. Notice here how he extends his hand at Vince Carter as if he was holding a stop sign, which momentarily stops Carter from attacking this pick-and-roll:

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/4092449/Screen_Shot_2014-03-04_at_11.57.16_PM.png

Most importantly, Noah can perform multiple tasks at once. He can slide to cut off the ball-handler, then scurry back to his own man before they can get a good shot off:

http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/4092537/noahpnrd.gif

But we already knew Noah was a great defender. The real change has come on the other end, where he's singlehandedly propping up Chicago's attack without Rose and Deng. His transformation began last year when Tom Thibodeau rejiggered the team's offense to use Noah's passing skills more with Rose out, but it has ascended to another level this season without Deng.

Simply put, Noah's passing is the Bulls' offense. The Bulls are nearly seven points better per 100 possessions with Noah in the game, going from a respectable unit to the worst in the league when he sits. Noah himself is assisting on nearly 24 percent of the Bulls' possessions when he's in the game, per Basketball Reference. That's the highest mark for a center since Vlade Divac in 2003-04.

It all works because Thibodeau puts Noah in the high post and runs cutters off him. It doesn't matter that Carlos Boozer isn't really willing to back guys down, or that Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy and Tony Snell are wings uncomfortable with creating their own offense off the dribble. It doesn't matter that Kirk Hinrich has lost any creativity he once had and that D.J. Augustin looks to score first. With Noah sliding across the pinch post like a center midfielder, the rest of the Bulls can focus on doing what they do best. All of them are fine cutters off the ball, and Noah's passing plays to and plays up those strengths.

Consider this play, for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CDEMZnVqNeU

There's a very small window for Noah to slip in a bounce pass to Boozer, but the delivery is so on point that all Boozer needs to do is turn left and he's at the rim. No post moves are necessary.

And as the New York Knicks know, taking Noah out of the lane opens it up for his teammates to go backdoor. Noah doesn't need to see much separation to deliver passes like these:

http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/4092661/noahbackdoorsnell.gif

Noah's high-post versatility also helps minimize his biggest weakness: his much-maligned jump shot. For all the talk of Noah's improvement in this area, he's still shooting under 34 percent on mid-range attempts, per NBA.com. The solution would seem clear: Leave Noah alone and let him freely fire away from the perimeter.

But it's not that simple, for two reasons. First, if a team ignores Noah, they give him a free look at the rest of the court. The best way to disrupt backdoor plays and post entries is to pressure the passer; when a defense doesn't do that, it makes spotting the openings easier. In this case, Jermaine O'Neal ignores Noah, which gives him a clear look at a backdoor cut Butler makes on Stephen Curry:

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/4092749/noahpasss2.gif

Also, not pressuring Noah puts the defense at a disadvantage when trying to defend the Bulls' dribble handoff sequences. Noah is the best in the league at coming to a teammate and turning it into a screen play. He can spring a guy like Dunleavy or Butler, and if their man overplays, Noah will hit them cutting backdoor. But if the opposing big man is playing way off Noah, it leaves the other team's perimeter defender all alone to defend a difficult two-man action. It's very hard for one man to guard a dribble hand-off, much less one involving the best passing big in basketball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1p5xEG2Nfhc

In this way, Noah forces his man to honor him without shooting. And when that defender tries to get too close, Noah has the ball-handling ability to make a move and the creativity and craft to make split-second pass/shoot decisions against pressure:

http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/4092965/noahlayupdrdive.gif

Without Noah, the Bulls' offense just doesn't work. They lack playmakers at every position, and all the motion in the world wouldn't fix that. But Noah's high-post play allows them to generate the right kind of spacing anyway, and his pinpoint deliveries turn them into finishers instead of creators.

Toss in his elite defense and all those clich�s start to seem perfectly apt, and utterly un-clich�d.

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/3/5/5467044/joakim-noah-chicago-bulls-nba-2014

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

Chandler still better

*sobs in the corner

http://tinyurl.com/mejox85

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

---------------------------------------------------------

just too bad Rose won't be playing.

...I'm from the era when A.I. was the answer, now they think ai is the answer - Marlon Craft

Last time...smh

https://digife.com

I wanna see a knock-down, drag-out type jawn.

...I'm from the era when A.I. was the answer, now they think ai is the answer - Marlon Craft

WHAT'S GOOD *****? What's REALLY good?!?!????!!! Ha HA!
http://40.media.tumblr.com/d8e2daf9f3f37244cd05436bcdf05973/tumblr_mt4qibKq4c1rgam01o1_1280.png

-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.

During All-Star Weekend, Carmelo Anthony and Joakim Noah had a conversation about Tom Thibodeau that eventually led to a recruiting pitch for the Chicago Bulls, according to a report.

Anthony asked Noah what it is like to play for Thibodeau.

Thibodeau has been rumored as an eventual candidate for the New York Knicks, while Anthony is also reportedly considering signing with the Bulls in the offseason.

Noah went on to tell Anthony that he should consider signing with the Bulls "if he wants to win a ring and secure a winning legacy."

Anthony told Noah that he "admires how hard the Bulls play and how hungry they are."

Derrick Rose would like the Bulls to sign Anthony in the offseason and is willing to help the team in their recruitment efforts.

Sources say that it would be difficult for Anthony to leave New York while also taking less money.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/232297/Noah-Gave-Carmelo-Recruiting-Pitch-At-All-Star-Weekend


I purposefully left the author out but it's good to see Noah do some recruiting, especially when Rose is too proud to do so. The silver lining behind Rose's 2 year hiatus is Joakim improving his game and becoming the leader of the team. Come on Melo!

Woulda been my top C choice for at least the last 5 years...fuck Dwight

Cause I'm doing better now, don't mean I never lost shit/ I was married to a state of mind and I divorced it -- Black Thought

Let's see y'all squirm out of this one

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

____________

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

___________________

Mar-A-Lago delenda est

it's funny because stars actually not practicing is fairly common (though it wasn't what iverson was doing at the time, anyway). it's funny how people have such a middle school mentality about professional sports.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

Ditch the paper, save the trees, and go mobile! Text bizcard to 32462!

>
>


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

.

<----

Soundcloud.com/aquil84

(HIP HOP)
http://aquil.bandcamp.com

http://www.nba.com/bulls/video/2014/03/05/20140304JoakimNoahAllStarFeature-3182580

nice little featurette. some behind-the-scenes ASG footage, and other goodies.

lolz @ noah in the all-star locker room. dude fucking hates the heat lol. on some straight up us-vs-the-world, no new friends, type shit.

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

Wasn't much of a fan of his in college...perhaps due to the limited perspective I had on him. After seeing him professionally for all these years now, I love everything about him.

---------------------------------
<--The drought is over

"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS

"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left."
-Kobe speaking to investigators

L D E A

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

Ditch the paper, save the trees, and go mobile! Text bizcard to 32462!

it was postgame of a bulls/knicks game
and all the players are filing onto the court
melo and amare are mingling with ppl
joakim comes and greets ppl
lenny sees joakim and goes "you going out tonite? whats good?"
and joakim says
"nah man Im not where I need to be yet, cant do it"

dude is
a comfortable millionaire
and he still hungry

_______________________________________
touched like midas these bitch ass niggas they study and bite us.

Joakim deserves it for the work he's put in. Thibs is coach of the year in a landslide.

His status right now is a testament to hard work. Dude is doing all the right things to lead his team to victory.

No empathy for white misery (c) BDot

"root for everybody black haters say that's crazy, wow..."

Is Joakim Noah the NBA's top center?
March 4, 2014, 3:45 pm

With Joakim Noah�s career-high 14-assist game Sunday against the Knicks � part of his second triple-double of the season and fifth of his career � now in the rear-view window, it�s a little bit easier to put into context how the All-Star center compares to his peers at the position.

There�s no question that the Bulls� offense revolves now around its leading assist man on the season, no matter how unconventionally it occurs. Nor is his impact as a upper-echelon defensive player or top-tier rebounder (Noah presently ranks sixth in the league in that category) debatable.

Noah has hurdled his perceived ceiling as a high-energy role player, and despite not being an explosive scoring threat on a regular basis, is now approaching superstar territory based on his work over the last two seasons. Given that a frequent lament around the NBA is the decline of the center � not that Noah is a traditional player in any sense � examining where he ranks among his counterparts is valid, especially in this campaign, where he�s been able to display his full complement of skills, even as he insists that he isn�t altered his game to showcase his ability to distribute.

�It�s not that,� Noah explained. �I think it�s just my teammates trusting me and giving me the ball at the top of the key. I�m touching the ball a lot and it�s just giving me confidence that my teammates are looking for me to make plays, and I feel comfortable doing that.�

A nightly triple-double threat, he�s also an All-Defensive Team player capable of pulling down a defensive board and leading a fast break, yet is still developing a consistent back-to-the-basket offensive game, complementing his unorthodox outside jumper, uncanny playmaking ability and dribble penetration from the high post.

�He�s a very high basketball I.Q. guy. He�s a very intelligent guy � he�d probably be mad if he heard me saying that; he wants to keep that a secret � and that�s what makes him so good,� Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said of his center�s passing ability. �I think his intelligence, his knowledge, it makes him even quicker than he is. He sees things ahead of time. But we have a team full of guys like that. And knowledge is quickness. If you know what�s coming, you�re going to be a step quicker. So that�s the way we have to play. I think our guys all know, if you cut and you�re open, you�re going to get it. So they don�t stand and I think that�s important, as well.�

It should be noted that the relationship between Thibodeau and Noah, both intense competitors who value winning over everything, but have vastly different approaches to the end result, has blossomed over time, with the coach trusting and empowering the player�s development.

His impact, however, can�t be measured in a description of his skill set, let alone rattling off his statistics. Noah�s motor � he symbolizes Thibodeau�s �multiple-effort mentality� on the defensive end of the floor and changes ends of the floor with his distinctive gait like he�s sprinting to catch the last train out of the station, on each and every possession � passion for the game and commitment to winning set him apart from the majority of his competition.

Brooklyn�s Brook Lopez, even when he�s healthy, might be a much more naturally gifted offensive player � the oft-injured Nets center, currently sidelined for the season with a chronic foot ailment that harkens Bill Walton�s career, is perhaps the best scoring center in the league � doesn�t have anything remotely resembling Noah�s defensive presence or rebounding prowess, as evidenced in last spring�s first-round playoff series.

Detroit�s Andre Drummond of the Pistons, only in his second professional season, and the Clippers� DeAndre Jordan, the NBA�s leading rebounder on the campaign, are more athletically explosive players, but lack Noah�s savvy and feel for the game.

If natural power forwards that play center � such as Chicago native Anthony Davis of the Pelicans, Noah�s oft-injured college teammate Al Horford of the Hawks, Miami�s Chris Bosh, Charlotte�s Al Jefferson or future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan of the Spurs � are included, then the list of worthy players at the position gets a little longer. But excluding those names, when it comes to elite centers, Noah is in a select group, one of the five best in the league, along with Houston�s Dwight Howard, Sacramento�s DeMarcus Cousins, Memphis� Marc Gasol and Indiana�s Roy Hibbert.

From there, it becomes a matter of preference.

Cousins is the most offensively talented of the bunch, a gifted scorer and passer, tenacious rebounder and better-than-advertised defender when motivated on that end of the floor. But Cousins, who is probably a top-five NBA player in terms of natural ability, is also an undeniably volatile on-court personality and despite his productivity, it hasn�t translated into much, if any, success for the Kings and given Noah�s track record of winning, he has to get the edge for right now, though it�s still very early in his career.

Hibbert, based on his team�s present status and playing his defined role of lane clogger, rim protector and occasional post-up threat, is worthy of consideration, though it can be argued that his All-Star nod was more due to Indiana�s collective success as a team than personal merit. As much as Hibbert should be lauded for his progress since entering the league, even with his massive frame, underappreciated passing and better-than-advertised mid-range jumper, Noah�s versatility is a decided advantage.

Gasol is more in the mold of Noah, as far as possessing formidable passing ability and his defensive impact � albeit in a different manner, relying more on position defense, though last season�s Defensive Player of the Year award might have been overstating things a bit � but is more of a burly, plodding type with post-up skills and a deadly mid-range jumper. As a major part of the Grizzlies� changing fortunes and his fantastic chemistry with power forward Zach Randolph, Gasol perhaps gets more individual credit than deserved and although he�s certainly worthy of being an All-Star in the West when healthy, it�s a stretch to say that he�s an outright better player than Noah, given that he�s also not a huge scorer and his lack of foot speed is a severe limitation in a more fast-paced style of play.

That, by default if not the most decisive selection process � everything is subjective based on a number of factors, including team personnel, but it�s safe to say that Noah would be effective on both ends in any system, while the same can�t be said as definitively for the centers previously mentioned � leaves Howard. Although the way he exited Orlando, and to a lesser extent, Los Angeles, left a lot of fans with a sour taste in their mouths, what the Rockets center does on the court can�t be denied.

No, he still doesn�t have the most sophisticated back-to-the-basket game, he isn�t a passing savant and his explosiveness in Houston still doesn�t seem to be at the level it was when he was with the Magic (which could be a byproduct of both age and injuries), but he�s still the league�s most dominant interior presence. As good as Noah is defensively, Howard is the one center who consistently gives him trouble when matched up individually and unlike most players who use their power against him, agility in the halfcourt or in the transition game can�t be used as a weapon.

Still, even as Howard has settled in to form a potent inside-outside tandem with All-Star shooting guard James Harden, leading their team to near the top of the Western Conference standings, no center has been more valuable to their team this season than Noah.

�He might be,� agreed teammate Jimmy Butler, talking about this season specifically. �He�s tough and he does everything. Shooting the ball, passing the ball, handling it, defense.

�I think the only aspect left he needs to get in his game is to get that trey-ball,� the swingman jokingly added. �I mean that! He shoots corner threes in practice. I�m not going to say he hits them, but he shoots them, so might as well.�

But more seriously, what truly puts Noah over the top this season is his unparalled will to win, something he wears on his sleeve like a badge of honor.

�Just coming where we came from, people really counted us out. We�ve gone through a lot and just to be in this position feels good,� he said in a typically passionate statement. �We�re not satisfied. We�re still as hungry as ever. We feel like we�re the hungriest team playing in the NBA and when you�ve got that feeling, I think we�ve got a ways to go. It feels good.

�We�re fighting. We�re hungry. We want more. We�re not satisfied with where we�re at right now. We just want to get the best seed possible because we know when the playoffs come, we want to play in this building. We know what it�s all about. Playing at the UC, playing well in the UC, especially in the playoffs,� Noah continued. �Everybody knows what this team is going through, playing without our best player and we feel like we�ve come so close to getting that ring. So right now, our mentality is we just want to get better playing those big games and do everything we can to play the best basketball possible. So when our young boy comes back, we�re ready. I want a ring. I want a ring so bad and I know that one day our time will come.�

Whether he knows it or not, Noah�s time is here.

http://www.csnchicago.com/bulls/joakim-noah-nbas-top-center

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

___________________

Mar-A-Lago delenda est

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS HE DOES!!! (/'O')/

http://youtu.be/M7dCBJp6Dnc

___

low end crazy, eastside crazy, wild hunnids crazy, englewood crazy.

he nailed the accent.

---------------------------------
<--The drought is over

"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS

"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left."
-Kobe speaking to investigators

L D E A

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

Ditch the paper, save the trees, and go mobile! Text bizcard to 32462!

https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/28465672861054520351268466688_10fd1855e44.4.8.13883162694348077428.mp4?versionId=9NU1xfXfe9zg8wW3q0Z7ZDResbbOyuC9

But I can't like him too much right now lol. He gunnin for my squad.

throwback to a different era

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8gviOoNM0Ss/Uxy5-0xThoI/AAAAAAAADnw/i3tcD1DfIHk/s1600/1.gif

http://soundcloud.com/djshinobishaw
http://www.rareformnyc.com
http://twitter.com/DJShinobiShaw
https://twitter.com/RareFormNYC
PSN: ShinobiShaw

"Arm Leg Leg Arm How you doin?" (c)T510

Dude does it all to help his team win. He plays old school style defense.

http://soundcloud.com/djshinobishaw
http://www.rareformnyc.com
http://twitter.com/DJShinobiShaw
https://twitter.com/RareFormNYC
PSN: ShinobiShaw

"Arm Leg Leg Arm How you doin?" (c)T510

http://turnernbaallball.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/joakimhooper.gif

I love how quickly Noah got his guard up. lol

http://youtu.be/L_45JYV4FGo

For whatever reason, I always assumed most of those interviews happened at a break and then they rolled it in over the game to make it look like its happening live, because you rarely see people actually react to the game. That was awesome.

------------------------------

17x NBA Champions

CHICAGO -- Kevin McHale said Thursday that Bulls center Joakim Noah should win the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award based on his performance this season.

The Houston Rockets coach knows a special defensive big man when he sees one. He was one himself, being selected multiple times to the NBA all-defense team. He has also coached two previous award winners in Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard.

McHale included Noah in that elite category Thursday. Noah is averaging 12.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks this season.

"He's played very well," McHale said after his team's shootaround at Moody Bible Institute. "He should be defensive player of the year. He's done a great job with these guys. They've been winning a lot just on his energy and effort, his kind of determination and toughness. Those are all qualities everybody appreciates."

McHale was complimentary not only of Noah's defensive game but of his offensive one as well.

"He's just more confident in what he's doing," McHale said. "He's making plays with the pass. He's driving and kicking. When he was coming out, I thought he'd be a pick-pop-and-drive playmaking 4. He's doing more of that now."

Howard also spoke highly of Noah's progression. The two first played against each other in high school when both were part of the Class of 2004, which also produced center Roy Hibbert.

"I've played against Joakim since adidas camp back when he was 15, 16 years old," Howard said. "I've seen a difference in his game. The one thing that has remained the same is his intensity level on the floor. He's always going after every play, trying to get all the loose balls, stuff like that.

"The first time (I met him), he was a water boy at the camp. We didn't see too much out of him. By the time we were all seniors, he was up actually playing in the all-star game. We played against each other here in Chicago in the Reebok Classic, which was a lot of fun. I'm happy to see him grow. He's doing a great job here in Chicago."

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/10602459/joakim-noah-chicago-bulls-defensive-player-year-kevin-mchale-houston-rockets-says

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

NOAH SEARS HIS WAY INTO MVP TALK
March 13, 2014 � 11:36AM
By Steve Aschburner, NBA.com

CHICAGO � When Joakim Noah switched on screens a couple times Sunday to find himself against LeBron James, the world saw the Chicago Bulls� adrenalized, frenetic 6-foot-11 center seizing the moment, squaring up and � wait, no, really? � clapping his hands almost in James� face.

Here he was, isolated against the NBA�s four-time MVP, who had the ball in his hands, the rim 20 feet away and a game to win. Noah might as well have been throwing rocks at a grizzly bear or wading into traffic on the Kennedy.

Noah, though, didn�t see it that way. For an instant on the court at United Center, in some recess of his mind, he was back in Teaneck, N.J., a dozen years ago. James was a high school underclassman from Akron, Ohio, already having his every movement scouted and stalked as the NBA�s next big thing. Noah? He was the gawky kid with the frizzy hair shagging rebounds for James.

�I was a ball boy,� Noah said after a Bulls practice this week, asked about the famous Adidas ABCD basketball camp he first attended as a sophomore. He hadn�t done enough to earn a spot as a player, so he went with his high school coach and rebounded for James, Lenny Cooke, Sebastian Telfair and other phenoms.

Every once in a while, you hear about an NBA player who spent time as a ball boy, helping and staring a lot while navigating wet towels and giant men in locker rooms. This was different, though.

�At least they�re fetching things for guys who are in the NBA,� Noah said. �I was fetching things for guys who were my age. I didn�t have my own bed � slept on the floor.

�I could have been in France with my father (tennis star Yannick Noah), I could have been traveling with my mom (Cecilia Rodhe, Miss Sweden 1978) in the summertime. But I knew that was where I needed to be if I wanted to make it. My dream was to play at that camp, to play in college and to play one day in the NBA.

�Y�know, I think it gives me my underdog mentality. I cherish those times because those are the sacrifices I had to make. Even as a ball boy, it wasn�t humbling � I just knew I had to be there, because it gave me an opportunity to see where I needed to get to.�

James, Noah said, has not mentioned their initial brush in the years since and probably doesn�t remember it.

�I wasn�t ready,� Noah said. �Physically I was a late bloomer. Y�know, I was 6-5 and 140 pounds. They used to call me �Stick Man.� �

> Bringing it every night

James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Miami Heat might have called Noah a few other things Sunday, after he helped Chicago beat them 95-88 with 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in 42 matinee minutes. The Bulls outworked Miami, getting 27 second-chance points, and Noah outworked everyone else in the building.

In fact, with his father beaming along with other family member in the stands, and with the red meat of the team he �hates� most as the opposition, the ever-emotional Noah seemed about to boil over a few times. He picked up one technical foul in the third quarter for playing keep-away on a dead ball with Miami guard Mario Chalmers. But the dude abided after that, with help from his friends.

�Sometimes I talk to him because you don�t want him to get another tech,� Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. �But he knows his limit. He�s been doing that for years. You really can�t tell him much. He�s �Joakim Noah.� He�s going to do it regardless. But he knows his limits.�

Most of the time, anyway. There was the game at Sacramento Feb. 3, when Noah got bounced in the third quarter after arguing a phantom foul whistled against him. The anger seized up on him and he appeared to drop an F-bomb on each of the three officials before he was hustled off the floor. Noah apologized after the game, but it still cost him a $15,000 fine. It at least gave Noah the distinction of being the first player penalized under new commissioner Adam Silver.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, before Tuesday�s game at United Center, was asked if his roster of adults could accommodate a player who runs as �hot� as Noah.

�I think so,� Popovich said. �He is a highly emotional guy, but he brings it every night. It�s something that infuses the whole team. He sets a standard on the court for the team. Each of us is different, our personalities. He�s like the opposite of Timmy in that respect. Tim is the most introspective and non-emotional guy on the court, but the fire�s burning, just in a different way. � As long as it�s directed for the good of the team, which it obviously is 100 percent, I think it�s great.�

So does the Bulls� marketing department, which sells the �heart of Chicago basketball� with a commercial (http://youtu.be/urX2WzFYwIY) that�s nothing more than super-slo-mo video of Noah in full emotional eruption. All spasm and gyrations, sweat and spittle, primal scream, arms pumping, body quaking.

�Does it sometimes go over the edge? Yeah,� former coach-turned-ABC/ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said over the weekend. �But would you ever ask him to tone it down? Absolutely not. You have to accept that 99 percent of the time it�s a positive. The 1 percent of the time it�s a negative, you don�t overreact to that. Him and Thibodeau, they�re both intense, passionate people. That�s why I think they�re perfect for each other.�

Thibodeau, who signed on as Bulls coach four years ago, had watched Noah from afar and seen the same frenzied guy. Then he went to work with Noah.

�You never want to take that away from a player,� Thibodeau said. �That�s his make-up. It�s who he is. When we were in Boston with Kevin Garnett, Doc once talked to him about (toning down his intensity). By halftime, Doc was screaming, �Go back to being who you are.� Whatever it is that makes you go, that�s what you�ve got to stay with.�

Noah�s game used to run on emotion and little else. He was a glorified energy guy chosen No. 9 by Chicago in the 2007 Draft, picked after Al Horford and Corey Brewer, his teammates with the Florida Gators. They had won NCAA titles together in 2006 and 2007, but Horford�s and Brewer�s games allegedly translated better to the NBA.

What people didn�t grasp was that Noah, a slow hoops learner in high school and college, would have the same trajectory as a pro. In his sixth NBA season, he became an All-Star. In his seventh, he did it again and has heard his name dropped in MVP and Defensive Player of the Year conversations.

�I think Noah is the best �non-scorer� in the NBA,� Van Gundy said. �He�s not ever going to average 16, 17 points, but you have to take into account his defense, his rebounding, his passing. Tom�s not trying to force him to be something he�s not by scoring in the low post. He�s got him in the high post, initiating offense. It opens up the basket area for the rest of the guys, which really helps.
�Let�s face it, the special teams have those guys who can force double-teams. Chicago doesn�t have that. But you want hard-playing, unselfish, low-maintenance players, too, and that�s exactly what Noah is.�

> Learning to play smart

For someone whose game isn�t best measured by numbers, Noah, 29, has put up some stellar ones. With three triple-doubles in the last month, he became the first center to post three in a season � with assists as one of the categories � since David Robinson in 1993-94. Noah is averaging 12.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists � 7.1 in his last 16 games � and is trying to join Garnett (six times), Charles Barkley (three) and Anthony Mason (once) as the only players since 1990-91 to average 12.0, 11.0 and 4.5 over a full season.

His knack for facilitating the offense and finding cutters has earned him a �point center� reputation of late, and Noah has gone beyond that.

�He�s just playing smart,� Thibodeau said. �He�s playing from the high post a lot and when people get up on him, now he�s reading: Are they sitting on the pass and backing off? If they are, he�s going to make another play. So I think you have to play him honestly. If you try to take the pass away, he�s going to score. That�s what I like, he�s making quick decisions, that�s probably the most important thing.�

Thibodeau said that, contrary to some elite players who add particular moves or skills each summer, Noah has ratcheted up his game across the board. After four years of continuity with Thibodeau�s system, he has blossomed.

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2013/11/09/inside-stuff-noah-swim-training.nba/index.html

�He�s not getting a lot of iso�s or plays where he gets on the block and gets post-ups,� said San Antonio forward Boris Diaw, Noah�s teammate in international competition on France�s national team. �He�s getting points a different way, which is hard. But he�s a hard roller (on pick-and-rolls), he�s getting in the slots all the time. He�s smart, getting always in the right place at the right moment. And getting a lot of offensive rebounds and second chances.�

Said Noah:

�I�m just being myself. I�m working on my game. I�ve never felt so confident as a basketball player. Derrick gives me a lot of confidence, too, always telling me what I need to work on, what type of shots I�ve got to take for when he comes back.�

It is a long way off, but Thibodeau and Noah are eagerly awaiting the day Rose returns from his second season lost to knee injuries. Maybe, Rose can throttle back some of his explosive fury thanks to facets added this season by Noah.

�That�s the plan,� Noah said. �I feel like I can affect the game in a lot of different ways. And I think Derrick can as well. I�m not worried about none of (the doubts about Rose's future), because I know his mind is in the right place and he knows my mind is in the right place. All the other stuff � the accolades and all that � it�s bigger than that.�

> Getting his due

The MVP talk � even if he�s destined to be no higher than No. 3 on anyone�s ballot, slotting in somewhere after Kevin Durant and James � makes Noah uncomfortable. He�d welcome the DPOY, though he�d never campaign for it, nor for all-NBA center status that will focus both on him and his matchup Thursday against Houston�s Dwight Howard.

Howard told NBA.com�s Jeff Caplan that he was looking forward to the matchup and planned to have fun against Noah when the Rockets and Bulls clashed. Noah talked about Howard as a guy he has known since high school, too, and who finally looks happy and healthy in Houston.

Noah, while healthier than he�s been in years (mostly avoiding plantar fascitis foot issues), isn�t quite ready to be happy. Not the way he�ll be if he, Rose, Thibs and the rest � minus friend Luol Deng (a midseason blow emotionally when he was traded) � get someday what Miami has.

In the meantime, he�ll get low in his defensive crouch and, whether it�s against point guards, centers or the best player on the planet, clap excitedly in the other man�s face. So what if he is risking the most glaring sort of embarrassment in those moments? (For the record, Noah and James split their little showdowns, Noah getting a stop and triggering a fast break once, James cutting by him for a left-handed layup on the other.)

�It�s the life we choose,� Noah said smiling. �Being in the public eye, playing basketball in front of a lot of people who are watching. I�m an emotional guy, that�s who I�ve always been, if there were 10 people at an AAU game or now. I�m not going to change who I am.

�I feel lucky. There�s not a lot of jobs where you can just make a play and scream as loud as you can. There�s nobody sitting at the office who�s going to stand up and scream. It�d be like, �What the hell is going on?� �

It�s all going on for Noah these days, and he can�t help but share it.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/03/13/noah-sears-his-way-into-mvp-talk/

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

http://espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=sportsnation&pollId=4228277

Howard or Noah: Who is the better center?
March, 12, 2014

By Nick Friedell | ESPNChicago.com

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Joakim Noah plays with the type of consistent fire and passion that fans and coaches have been wanting to see from Dwight Howard for years. But does that make Noah the better player?

If a franchise had to pick one center to build a team around, the odds are still higher that many around the league would take Howard. After all, he is an eight-time All-Star and carried the Orlando Magic to an NBA Finals appearance in 2008-2009.

He may not be the most complete center in the league, a title for which Noah could make a claim. But despite a tumultuous two-year stretch during which he forced a trade out of Orlando, then left the Los Angeles Lakers after a season, Howard is largely regarded as the better player as his Houston Rockets come into town to face Noah and the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

SportsNation
If you could start your team with one center, who would you pick?

17%
Dwight Howard

83%
Joakim Noah

Discuss (Total votes: 3,321)

Howard is averaging 18.7 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks a game. That's a little more day-to-day production than the 12.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists that Noah has put up this season -- the best of his six-year career.

Maybe Noah isn't the best statistical choice to build a team around, but the argument already has been made by some, including TNT analyst and former Bull Steve Kerr, that only LeBron James and Kevin Durant would be the preferred choices over Noah in a Game 7 situation.

The fact that Noah has even closed the gap to the point that questions like this can be bounced around indicates how far he has come in his development during the past two seasons. While Howard became a fixture on the All-NBA team during his time in Orlando, Noah has blossomed to the point that it's likely he will earn some votes for the coveted position at the end of the season.

"I'm biased, so I'm probably not the right guy to ask that question," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Wednesday after practice when asked who he would vote for between Noah and Howard, if he had a vote. "But for what Jo does for our team, I don't think there's anyone better for that."

No matter what direction the NBA writers and broadcasters vote at the end of the season, it's clear both players have earned respect throughout the league. They've also earned each other's respect over the years, speaking glowingly of one another.

"I think he's a great player and he's been playing great all year," Noah said of Howard on Wednesday. "His team is playing great. He's in a good place right now. I think he looks pretty happy to be in Houston. He's happy with his decision. I'm just trying to focus on us and what we've got to do to find a way (to) win."

Noah said he thought Howard was the best center in the league when asked, but he doesn't believe that. He believes that he has put in enough time and work into his game that he can beat anybody in the league with his teammates. In many ways, the biggest change between the two players� games is that Noah has developed into the type of leader the Magic and Lakers always wanted Howard to become.

When Derrick Rose went down with another major knee injury earlier this season and Luol Deng was traded to Cleveland, it was Noah who elevated his game on and off the floor.

He has become a de facto point guard for the Bulls, as the offense continues to run through him each night. He's also become a sounding board for his teammates -- the guy that everybody takes their cues from on the floor.

Thibodeau said he believes Noah, who isn't playing quite as many minutes this season, has found a sweet spot in terms of his nightly output.

"He's done a good job with it," Thibodeau said. "I think he's at a good number. We just want to make sure he can play hard on every possession. I think he's in great shape. He's done a really good job of preparing himself for the season. So I like where he is right now. But he's got to keep grinding. I think he can go to another level."

Does Thibodeau worry his leader may get mentally fatigued because of all the emotion he pours into each game?

"No, because I think you train yourself for that," Thibodeau said. "That's the nature of this league. If you want to do something special, I think you have to commit to that. That's building the right habits throughout the course of the season.

"The teams that achieve in this league are able to sustain their concentration level and their effort level over a long period of time. So hopefully we're building the right habits and he can do it."

Noah and his teammates know that in order to get back on track Thursday, they've got to do a solid job staying in front of Howard. He may not play with the type of fire that has come to define Noah, but he can still play as well as any big man in the league. Gibson spoke of Howard as if he were "The Incredible Hulk."

"I feel that you don't want to make him mad," Gibson said. "Once you make him mad he's going to call for the ball mostly every time he's down in the paint. He's going to bang you, just try to dominate you in a lot of different fashions."

So what's it like trying to guard Howard?

"It's like a tractor trailer backing (up) a small car," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. "His strength is crazy."

Howard's strength and length are what have given Noah problems in the past. It will be a challenge to stay in front of the Rockets' big man, but it's just the next thing on a list that Noah has pushed past this season.

Noah may not have the type of gaudy numbers Howard produces, but Noah�s teammates and coaches don't care. They know that for what the Bulls want to do, there's nobody better.

"I like the guy we have," Thibodeau said. "The guy we have is pretty special."

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bulls/post/_/id/18178/howard-or-noah-who-is-the-better-center

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

http://t.co/39gcSJ9JPQ

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

http://bkref.com/tiny/a79aD

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

Noah has transformed into 1978 Bill Walton this last couple months - great to watch.

since the deng trade (33 games) noah's averaged 12.3 rpg, 6.3 apg and 1.8 bpg.

for the season, that would put him 5th, 12th and 8th respectively in those categories.

pretty impressive. dude's doing work.

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

you're welcome.

___________________

Mar-A-Lago delenda est

a GREAT piece putting jo's season in historical context and using the numbers to back it up.

Joakim Noah Is Having One of the Most Unique Seasons You'll Ever Witness
By Kelly Scaletta, Featured Columnist | Mar 23, 2014


Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls is getting all kinds of MVP love, but he is the most unlikely candidate of all. That�s because he is having one of the most unique seasons in recent history.

Sekou Smith, who writes the MVP Ladder for NBA.com, explains why he has Noah ranked fourth (behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin):

"Noah's one of the few players in the league whose point total does not indicate the impact he's had on a game. To his credit, Noah is averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and 7.8 assists over his past 10 games, cementing his status as the best big man in the game and arguably its most versatile low-post operator, given his ability to facilitate the Bulls' offense."

Noah�s ability to dominate the game is not reflected by his scoring, which is rare. This year he is arguably having the greatest season by a non-scorer in nearly half a century. He is combining literally every other aspect of the game (passing, rebounding, defense and intangibles) in ways that no player since the great Bill Russell has.

That's a bold statement, but the numbers back it up.


Usage and PIE


One of the newer advanced stats is player impact estimate (PIE), which is used by NBA.com. It measures the percentage of game events a player is involved in while he�s on the court.

Usage percentage is the percentage of possessions that a player uses, either by taking a shot or turning the ball over.

Ergo, a man with a high PIE and a low usage percentage is that rare kind of player who can impact games without being a dominant scorer, because it means dominating games without dominating the ball. Noah�s current PIE is 15.7 percent, and his usage percentage is 18.4.

Here are the players since the 1997-98 season (as far back as the advanced stats at NBA.com go) who qualified for the minutes-per-game leaderboard, have a usage below 20 percent and a PIE above 15 percent:

High PIE, Low Usage Players since 1996-97

Player Team Season Usg% PIE%
Joakim Noah Chicago Bulls 2013-14 18.4% 15.7%
Al Horford Atlanta Hawks 2010-11 19.9% 15.0%
Jason Kidd New Jersey Nets 2006-07 19.2% 16.0%
Jason Kidd New Jersey Nets 2005-06 18.8% 15.8%
Carlos Boozer Cleveland Cavaliers 2003-04 19.8% 15.4%
Ben Wallace Detroit Pistons 2002-03 10.3% 15.3%
John Stockton Utah Jazz 2002-03 19.1% 15.4%
John Stockton Utah Jazz 2001-02 19.7% 16.6%
John Stockton Utah Jazz 2000-01 18.6% 16.1%
John Stockton Utah Jazz 1999-00 19.2% 16.6%
Dikembe Mutombo Atlanta Hawks 1998-99 14.4% 15.7%
Anthony Mason Charlotte Hornets 1996-97 17.6% 15.0%
John Stockton Utah Jazz 1996-97 18.6% 16.7%

NBA.com/STATS

In the last 18 seasons, only eight players have accomplished this feat a total of 13 times (John Stockton, wow!)

Of the smattering of players who compose this list, none have a lower usage than Noah while posting a higher PIE.

In fact, the only players who have a better PIE at all are Stockton and Jason Kidd, who also happen to be first and second respectively in all-time assists.

Dikembe Mutombo has the same PIE with a lower usage, so he is in this conversation as well. He didn't win the Defensive Player of the Year that year, but he won four (the NBA record) in his career.

Ben Wallace makes the list too. He did win DPOY in the pertinent season and tied Mutombo's record with four total.

While there are probably other players such as Bill Russell who would qualify if we had the data, this shows how narrow the field already is.

In essence, only four players since 1997 are on the same level as Noah in terms of impact without controlling the ball: two of the greatest facilitators in history and two of the greatest defensive players.

What makes Noah�s season incredibly unique is that he is a blend of both.


Passing and Rebounding


Part of the reason Noah is able to have such a great impact on games is his rare combination of passing and rebounding. He currently has an assist percentage of 25.3 and a total rebound percentage of 18.3.

Kevin Garnett is the only other player since the 1970-71 season (as far back as the advanced stats at Basketball-Reference.com go) who has an assist percentage over 25 and a rebound percentage greater than 18.

Garnett did it twice: in 2002-03 and 2004-05. But in both years his usage percentage was considerably higher (26.4 and 27.1 respectively).

Even if we lower the parameters for rebounding and passing by 2 percent, the field is not greatly widened. Here are the few players with a 23 percent assist percentage and a 16 percent rebound percentage:

High Assist Percentage and High Rebound Percentage Players

Player Season AST % TRB%
Joakim Noah 2013-14 25.4% 18.3%
Kevin Garnett 2004-05 27.1% 20.3%
Kevin Garnett 2003-04 24.4% 20.1%
Kevin Garnett 2002-03 25.8% 18.8%
Karl Malone 1996-97 24.5% 16.8%
Tom Boerwinkle 1974-75 33.8% 17.0%
Tom Boerwinkle 1970-71 23.1% 22.6%

Basketball-Reference.com

Based on percentages, only three other players in the last 44 years have even come close to what Noah is doing this year in terms of both rebounding and passing. Percentages give us the advantage of being inherently pace-adjusted.

Once again, though, there might be other players who'd be included if the data were available.

If we look at the averages, that does give us a clue as to the scope of NBA history.

Noah is averaging 11.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, only the 22nd time a player has achieved that. Here is the complete list of 15 players who have ever done so (the asterisk indicates that the player is in the Hall of Fame):

Players with 11 Rebounds and 5 Assists per Game

Player Season Tm AST/G TRB/G FGA/G
Anthony Mason 1996-97 CHC 5.7 11.4 11.3
Bill Russell* 1966-67 BOS 5.8 21.0 12.6
Bill Russell* 1964-65 BOS 5.3 24.1 10.7
Billy Cunningham* 1971-72 PHI 5.9 12.2 19.0
Bob Kauffman 1972-73 BUF 5.1 11.1 13.8
Charles Barkley* 1992-93 PHO 5.1 12.2 18.1
Elgin Baylor* 1960-61 LAL 5.1 19.8 29.7
Joakim Noah 2013-14 CHI 5.0 11.2 9.6
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 1978-79 LAL 5.4 12.8 21.1
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 1975-76 LAL 5.0 16.9 16.8
Kevin Garnett 2001-02 MIN 5.2 12.1 16.6
Kevin Garnett 2002-03 MIN 6.0 13.4 18.1
Kevin Garnett 2004-05 MIN 5.7 13.5 17.3
Larry Bird* 1982-83 BOS 5.8 11.0 18.7
Maurice Stokes* 1957-58 CIN 6.4 18.1 18.7
Oscar Robertson* 1961-62 CIN 11.4 12.5 22.9
Sam Lacey 1974-75 KCO 5.3 14.2 11.3
Wes Unseld* 1975-76 WAS 5.2 13.3 7.3
Wilt Chamberlain* 1963-64 SFW 5.0 22.3 25.2
Wilt Chamberlain* 1967-68 PHI 8.6 23.8 14.2
Wilt Chamberlain* 1966-67 PHI 7.8 24.2 16.8
Wilt Chamberlain* 1965-66 PHI 5.2 24.6 28.7

Basketball-Reference.com

Noah is the first center since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978-79 to accomplish the feat.

Most of these players are still ball-dominant players. Since we don't have access to usage, we�ll look at field-goal attempts.

Of the players on this list, only Wes Unseld in 1975-76 took fewer shots than Noah has this year. Bill Russell took slightly more in 1966-67. Sam Lacey and Anthony Mason aren't exactly volume scorers either. (As a side note, I have a fresh appreciation for Mason's 1996-97 season.)

So based on raw numbers, those are the only four players who matched Noah's passing and rebounding without being being scorers.


And He's Getting Better


One of the most remarkable things about Noah�s season is he�s posting these kinds of historic numbers in spite of a sluggish beginning. Due to a preseason injury, he was struggling for the first month.

Through the end of November, he was only averaging 8.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Since then, he�s averaging 13.5, 12.1 and 5.5 respectively.

And since Luol Deng was traded on January 6, he�s been flat-out ridiculous, posting an average line of 13.7, 12.2 and 6.3.

In particular, his assists and rebounds are what�s eye-popping. How much so?

Since 1985 (again, as far back as can be tracked), the most six-assist games by a center is 36. Vlade Divac did that in 2003-04. David Robinson had 32 such games in 1993-94. Noah is now third on that list with 29.

That�s impressive enough, but what makes it phenomenal is that through his first 32 games, Noah only had five six-assist games. Since Deng was traded 36 games ago, he�s had 24. If he maintains that same post-trade clip, he�ll add nine more to his total before the season ends, beating Divac�s total by two.

Effectively, that means he�d have more six-assist games (38 projected) than any center in the last 30 years, with almost all of them coming in the last 50 games of the season.

Furthermore, if we factor in rebounding, Noah already has as many 10-rebound, six-assist games as any center since 1985, tying Robinson at 24, with 21 of those games having come since Deng was traded.

Seeing a center dominate games by owning the glass and facilitating the ball the way that Noah has in the post-Deng era is just special and virtually unparalleled in at least 30 years.


Defense


There are already very few players who are eligible when we consider Noah�s ability to command games just through his passing and rebounding without being a high-usage player: Russell, Unseld, Anthony Mason and Sam Lacey complete the list.

But, primarily we�ve only looked at one side of the ball. Of those players, only Mason (second team) and Russell (first team) were ever named to All-Defensive teams at any point in their careers.

Mason didn�t receive any votes for DPOY, however, and the award didn�t exist when Russell played.

There is a strong possibility that Noah will win it this season. Even Kevin McHale, the coach of three-time recipient Dwight Howard, believes the award belongs to Noah, as he told ESPN Chicago�s Scott Powers:

"He (Noah) should be Defensive Player of the Year. He's done a great job with these guys. They've been winning a lot just on his energy and effort, his kind of determination and toughness. Those are all qualities everybody appreciates."

Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report has Noah as the favorite to win the award. So does Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. So it�s fair to at least consider the possibility Noah wins.

If he does, he�ll be the first DPOY winner to average 10 rebounds and five assists.

When you include defense with passing and rebounding, all without dominating the ball, only one player stands out with Noah, and that�s Russell.


Intangibles


The last aspect of a player is his intangibles, including things like energy, effort and leadership. Noah�s are such that Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report recently named him the best leader in the NBA.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1998174-beckbucher-whos-the-best-leader-in-the-nba-today

And it�s a big part of the reason why, as previously mentioned, Smith has Noah ranked No. 4 in his MVP Ladder.

Isiah Thomas compares Noah to Dennis Rodman, which might be more fair if Rodman were also a facilitator. But Thomas' thinking is right.

http://bit.ly/1hVcy2T

Intangibles are hard to measure (hence the word). They�re also best evaluated in the present, not retrospectively. Therefore, it seemed a good way to gauge them historically by looking at MVP voting, which is a kind of snapshot of what the voters were thinking at the time.

Here is every player who has ever finished in the top five in MVP voting with 15 or fewer points per game and where they placed in the voting:

Lowest-Scoring MVP Contenders in NBA History

Place Player Age Tm G MP PTS TRB AST Year
4 Bill Russell 34 BOS 77 42.7 9.9 19.3 4.9 1968-69
4 Mel Hutchins 27 FTW 66 33.9 12 7.5 2.7 1955-56
? Joakim Noah 28 CHI 68 34.7 12.4 11.2 5 2013-14
4 Bill Russell 31 BOS 78 43.4 12.9 22.8 4.8 1965-66
4 Wilt Chamberlain 36 LAL 82 43.2 13.2 18.6 4.5 1972-73
3 Bill Russell 32 BOS 81 40.7 13.3 21 5.8 1966-67
1 Wes Unseld 22 BAL 82 36.2 13.8 18.2 2.6 1968-69
5 Tiny Archibald 31 BOS 80 35.8 14.1 2.5 8.4 1979-80
1 Bill Russell 30 BOS 78 44.4 14.1 24.1 5.3 1964-65
2 Jason Kidd 28 NJ 82 37.3 14.7 7.3 9.9 2001-02
3 Wilt Chamberlain 35 LAL 82 42.3 14.8 19.2 4 1971-72
3 Bill Russell 29 BOS 78 44.6 15 24.7 4.7 1963-64

Basketball-Reference.com

If Noah gets the votes, he will be the lowest-scoring player since 1968-69 to be a top-five finisher in the MVP race, when Guess Who finished fourth.

Add intangibles to the list of ways Noah dominates without scoring, and once again one of the few players to be there with him is Russell.


Once in a Generation


Only one name keeps popping up in reviewing what Noah has done: Bill Russell. The Bill Russell.

Now, of course I can hear the Steven-A.-ish screams of �dis-respect-ful!� pouring over the Internet. Bear in mind that saying that Noah is doing something that no one has done since Russell isn�t the same as saying he�s Russell�s equal.

Russell is one of the greatest players in history. Noah is just having a great season.

But between when Russell played and now, no one has done what Noah is doing. That deserves appreciation.

Ironically enough, Russell would probably be pleased by the comparison.

Two years ago, in an interview with NBA Entertainment's John Hareas, Russell brought up Noah as one of his favorite players:

"A player who doesn't get much attention and is one of my favorites to watch is Joakim Noah. The Bulls don't utilize some of his skills. Not only is he a good rebounder but he's an excellent passer. A good passer is more important to a team than a good shooter on offense."

Well, I�m sure Russell would agree the Bulls are using Noah's passing skills now.

Noah is having the most completely dominant season by a non-scorer in 45 years. The last time that happened was when Russell was roaming the courts. Only a minority of current NBA fans were even born then, much less old enough to remember watching him play.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James are still the best players in the league, and there�s certainly nothing �wrong� with being a scorer. But it�s refreshing to see someone dominate games without commanding the ball. There will be great scorers in every generation, but this type of player comes once in a generation.

Noah�s season is something you�ll rarely, if ever, see again�probably not even from Noah, since his facilitating role will dissipate with the return of Derrick Rose.

So that being the case, the next time you get a chance, sit back, watch a Bulls game and enjoy the uniqueness of history being made.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2003083-joakim-noah-is-having-one-of-the-most-unique-seasons-youll-ever-witness

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

in the increased role Thibs is giving Jo on the offensive end. The void created by Rose's injury and the Deng trade are obviously the main factors, but I can't help but think coach read that and was like "you know what? ole Bill is on the money"