Joakim Noah needs to get in shape
Joakim Noah (photo. Monte Isom)When Joakim Noah became visibly exhausted and asked out of Monday’s Jazz/Bulls game before the first quarter was even done, the Utah announcers quickly picked up on it and bashed Noah accordingly. Despite starting, Noah ended the night having played just 16 minutes — the same as Aaron Gray — and sat the entire fourth quarter
Without an obvious Sean May-type weight issue on his hands, you wonder why Noah would be so out of shape just one month into his second pro season. (I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but if you had to predict which NBA player was going to pull a Josh Howard first, Joakim would be up there.) At Florida he was known for his high-energy style, where he made up for a lack of polished skills with sheer effort and a never-ending motor.
This hints at a bigger issue in Chicago, though. As much as Derrick Rose is battling to keep the Bulls relevant, the cracks are coming to the surface. Luol Deng is playing with about as much fervor as the cast of “Paris Hilton’s BFF,” and Tyrus Thomas isn’t far behind him. Ben Gordon has that contract-year thing hovering over everyone’s head. And did you get a sense from the team’s subdued “celebration” of Larry Hughes‘ game-winner that there may be some locker-room chemistry issues? For rookie coach Vinny Del Negro, things like players appearing bored, players not getting along, and now, players being out of shape, are tell-tale signs that sometime soon, some s*** is about to hit the fan, and that he needs to get his team in check ASAP. Del Negro can start with something simple, like getting his 23-year-old center in basketball shape.
If you were an NBA coach, how would you deal with players who are out of shape?
November 25th, 2008 at 10:33 am
fallinup says:
Fire sale coming to Chicago! Everything must go!
‘cept Rose.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:37 am
pffft ... Knicks says:
Noah just bothers me. Could be his jumper or the hair or the fact that every time he would do anything on the court in college, he screamed. Man, that sh*t got snuffed out real quick in the league, huh? Just straight annoying.
They need to gut this roster. Tank this season. Grab a big man in the draft and start fresh.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Dagomar says:
UH . . . .
I would take this kid to a fucking factory where people are making shit in risky, brutal jobs. Then I’d tell him he’s making millions to stay in shape and play a game. If he can’t stay in shape after that I’d ship his ass out.
The Bulls have been unbelievably disappointing and it’s pretty clear it wasn’t Stiles’ fault. Deng’s situation is especially pathetic. At least they have Rose, who is looking more and more like he’ll be a genuine franchise player.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Kudabeen says:
Just another example that Team Trainer have no idea or no real command on guys progress. If Joakim was in Denver, Phoenix, Orlando, Philly, LA, San Antonio, New Orleans, Boston, etc his team trainers would know that adding weight doesn’t make you a better player…
Greg Oden dropped a reported 17 pounds after the foot injury and is playing just as strong.
Joakim needs strength and foot work training, so that he can hold his rebounding position as well as get his self in position to rebound, score, and disrupt shots around the basket…
He is a energy guy being weighed down with the useless weight… He needs to follow hang with Ben Gordon and stop hanging out where ever he does…Ben’s in season training regime is pretty sick.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:41 am
LakeShow84 says:
I agree.. gut the roster.. draft a big man and build from there.. If Tyrus doesnt get it yet, he wont.. LArry Hughes is wasted talent, too inconsistent.. Ben Gordon is motivated for all the wrong reasons, hsa never showed me any comraderie.. Joakim Noah, pot head and still living in college..
I’d say keep Deng (i know, i know but hes a good player even if he is underachieving), Gooden (DECENT big with DECENT hands) and Heinrich (good back up point if he will just buy into it..
And that Rose kid should stay too.. he aint half bad..
November 25th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Kudabeen says:
The Bulls need to beg Portland for a re-trade and see if they can get Aldridge back somehow…
November 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
JCARR says:
tell him to stop smoking weed and get a haircut so he doesnt have like 15 pounds of hair holding him back when he is running.
If i were a coach i would put laxatives on the players food and i would send them to Colombia for a liposuction
November 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Mikey says:
If I played in the NBA, I’d be Joakim Noah. I like to play a high energy style. I’m pretty good on defense and rebounding. I have no jump shot. Most of all, I get tired after 3 minutes of burn.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:53 am
rd$ says:
as a Bulls fan, Thomas is the most frustrating player. The thing is he is just so stupid out there. He makes dumb plays and looks lost out there. Just stupid and lacks any type of fire to just board, block, and dunk.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:55 am
dmitry of jersey says:
the bulls front office needs to get bitch-smacked, plain and simple. had they done even a half-assed job of putting a well balanced team together during the past 5 years, they would be talking playoffs this year with rose.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Pskila says:
John Paxson’s job is in a jeopardy….LeMarcus Alridge would have been the perfect for the lack luster Tyrus Thomas….
November 25th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Scott says:
It’s clearly his mindset. You see it when he plays. I can’t remember seeing a young player complain so much about calls. He reacts to damn near everything. I swear he’s going to cry one of these days. He acts like he’s entitled to everything, entitled to getting calls go his way, and entitled to play in the nba. He’s probably not in shape because he thinks he’s talented enough to get away with it.
The most interesting scene I’ve seen with him, was against Portland when he was matched up with Oden, a revisit of that championship game. He got Oden a few times with his defense, but unlike Oden, he couldn’t keep his composure, and ended up fouling Oden, and others enough to collect 4 or 5 fouls by halftime. Meanwhile, Oden looked humble as hell, complained about nothing, and put in WORK.
If Noah keeps on this path he could easily get a wake up call similar to Gerald Green’s.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Sweet English says:
Dime had a post about cuttin’ off the braids but no one seems to have picked up on how hard it is to take joke-im Noah seriously with that stupid half-assed fro. He looks like your 40 sumthin’ uncle that thinks he is ‘with the kids’ ‘cos he dont cut his hair and now its some strange sideways ponytail.
If anyone can find a picture of Joke-im dressed like an effin clown on draft night, please post it.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:10 am
P_Dizzle says:
My prediction is that all the locker room sh** will rub off on Rose by January and he won’t give a damn and will get burned out from carrying the team. He will hit the rookie wall and won’t come out of it and will be a so-so player for the next 4-5 years.
Chicago is ruining this talent they have. Time to start cleaning house before the damage is done.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:15 am
that's whats up says:
dude probably smokes a lot – just cut it down a bit and run some more
November 25th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
BEdger says:
and this my friends is why those of us in Oregon worship at the KP shrine. I think there might only be 5-6 competent GM’s in the league and we have one in Portland. Thanks again Mr. Paxon for taking Ty Thomas AKA Stromile Swift 2.0 for LaMarcus Aldridge…..I’ll be sending you a christmas card
November 25th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Celts Fan says:
You bench them, cover their lockers w/ picture of Oliver Miller and Tracter Trailer with the words “This Could Be You” over it, then make them hit the treadmill til they’re worth a d@mn again.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Amar says:
if you were the son if a super model and a national sports icon/marketing hero you may be a little soft too. it’s not like he had to really work for ‘it’, in order to have a good life.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Whos his mom Amar???
November 25th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Austin Burton says:
His mom is a former Miss Sweden, right?
November 25th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Diego says:
@AB, yeah that is right.
Noah needs to get his act together. At the rate things are going, in 2-3 years, Horford will be the only one of that group of 5 Florida draftees still making a living in the NBA.
November 25th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
illmatic says:
lay off tha ganja !! that boy got caught in the off season with trees !! no good. nba players should lay off the drugs.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
me says:
hahaha i knew i liked him for a reason.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Kenney McIntyre II (Pensacola Fla) says:
Joakim Noah still smokes weed. why??? i dont know. I heard he smoked in college but at this point its only a matter of time before he’s cut or packaged in the next trade scenario. Weed drains your energy level, no more hustle plays, it more like fuck it, ill get the next board.
December 9th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
felix says:
joakim in 4th in the nba in boards per 48. that’s correct, 4th! so back off and look at the numbers. del negro is an idiot to play aaron gray over him.