QUOTE
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The last thing Joakim Noah wanted to be wearing on Monday afternoon was a pair of jeans.
Get the kid a pair of sweats. A bow tie. Anything but jeans. Well, and a headband; Noah doesn't want to be a distraction and is well aware of the Bulls' policy against those.
Noah isn't comfortable missing the summer league action with an injury. (Getty Images)
Chicago opened up its Summer League schedule, and Noah took what's going to be his customary seat for the next few weeks at the edge of the bench, clad in a plain collared shirt and faded denim. Maybe he'll spice it up a bit down the road, but civilian clothes will be Noah's attire while he watches what will be an arduous series of games in Orlando and Salt Lake City over the next two weeks.
The rotator cuff injury that bothered Noah throughout Florida's run to the NCAA title, throughout pre-draft workouts and into his first visit with the Bulls' medical staff will keep him out of action for at least one month.
Noah is making the most of it, playing cheerleader and remaining attentive and involved -- but not being out there running around is causing him severe distress. He wears the frustration on his face.
"I want to play. I'm a competitor. Being a competitor, you want to be out there and help your team win," said Noah, who was surprised to be interviewed despite not playing. "The transition (from college to pros) takes place on the court, and I haven't been on the court yet so I'm not sure exactly what to expect."
Normally, it's the other way around with Noah. People don't know what to expect from him, how to take him, or what to make of him. To some he's cocky, to others cuddly. It depends what side of the fence you're on as far as extroverts are concerned. What Noah has done has worked for him, whether anyone likes it or not.
He, as a sophomore, was the heart and soul of a team that shocked the college basketball world. He was the MVP, No. 1 pick-to-be, hot item on the market. Then he came back and dealt with jealousy, scorn and being a target, and did so as the climate changed around him. With Noah often the focal point of opposing defenses and opposing fans' chants, his teammates improved.
He went from heart and soul to shield. Noah, hurt shoulder and all, became the camouflage. Because of him, you never saw the other guys coming. Florida won a second championship. Noah told the world about it.
"I've got to be me," he says simply.
That's who Chicago is getting. He's an extrovert who has to be true to himself, but at the same time, his driving force is winning. Take away the second national championship, and maybe those sacrifices made would be reflected upon differently. Noah wouldn't have lasted until the ninth pick in 2006. In 2007, there was danger he could slip even further, with that shoulder being a major reason why. Still, he won. He cut down a piece of another net, and that made it all worth it.
The Bulls chose him because they believe they have a winner on their hands, and that will translate into him elevating them where they want to go. It doesn't matter how he contributes, be it by raising the level of intensity in practice, waving a towel on the bench, or going out there and grabbing 12 rebounds a night. They expect him to do what he did at Florida -- win.
"You just got to play and do what you do," said Tyrus Thomas, who faced many of the same athlete-with-no-offensive-game criticisms currently plaguing Noah. "I told him already that you can't worry about what other people say. The people that make expectations are the people that don't really matter, so you just have to go out, play your game and do what your team needs you to do.
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"If it calls for him to come in and play immediately then he's got to be ready to step up to the plate. If not, he's got to sit back, but also, work off the court when no one is in the gym and get himself better."
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Chicago expects Noah to be healthy when training camp opens in October, and he'll be thrown into a mix with Ben Wallace, Thomas and the other big men John Paxson assembled to help the Bulls take the next step in their playoff aspirations. From there, it will be up to Noah to see how well he swims. He feels a lot of the stuff Scott Skiles runs is very similar to what Billy Donovan did at Florida, so that should help.
The thought of improving daily against physical specimens like Wallace and Thomas excites Noah. Few teams in the lottery have that kind of testing ground waiting for a rookie of his caliber. All he wants to do is get better. The chiding and criticism he took while at Florida won't translate to this level, and he knows that. He won't be the focal point of opposing defenses. Fans are going to be much more likely to get on Wallace for his free throws or Kirk Hinrich for his scrappy style or Andres Nocioni for his dirty label. Noah, no matter how wild he might be perceived to be, will just try to fit in and be one of the guys. Whatever anyone outside his circle thinks of him has long been cast aside.
"You really have to know who you are because everyone forms an opinion. Everyone is going to write about you. At this level, there's so much more media, and there's so much more opinion because you're always out there," Noah said. "To me, that's why I feel like my college experiences are going to help me in the long run."
They thickened his skin.
Among his crew with the Gators, he might have been known as the loud one, but those guys more relate to him as being the guy who stood up for every battle and welcomed in every bullet. Their college days might be over, but Noah says he, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green talk daily. He has new teammates now, and he was cheering them on as best he could despite the tension inside.
Noah wants to compete. He aches to get his pro career started and start improving like Thomas did. If Thomas can put in the hours in the gym and come out with an improved jumper, so can Noah. His body just has to catch up with his enthusiasm.
"I feel very fortunate to be in this situation. The only thing that's hard right now is not being able to play. Injuries suck."
Get the kid a pair of sweats. A bow tie. Anything but jeans. Well, and a headband; Noah doesn't want to be a distraction and is well aware of the Bulls' policy against those.
Noah isn't comfortable missing the summer league action with an injury. (Getty Images)
Chicago opened up its Summer League schedule, and Noah took what's going to be his customary seat for the next few weeks at the edge of the bench, clad in a plain collared shirt and faded denim. Maybe he'll spice it up a bit down the road, but civilian clothes will be Noah's attire while he watches what will be an arduous series of games in Orlando and Salt Lake City over the next two weeks.
The rotator cuff injury that bothered Noah throughout Florida's run to the NCAA title, throughout pre-draft workouts and into his first visit with the Bulls' medical staff will keep him out of action for at least one month.
Noah is making the most of it, playing cheerleader and remaining attentive and involved -- but not being out there running around is causing him severe distress. He wears the frustration on his face.
"I want to play. I'm a competitor. Being a competitor, you want to be out there and help your team win," said Noah, who was surprised to be interviewed despite not playing. "The transition (from college to pros) takes place on the court, and I haven't been on the court yet so I'm not sure exactly what to expect."
Normally, it's the other way around with Noah. People don't know what to expect from him, how to take him, or what to make of him. To some he's cocky, to others cuddly. It depends what side of the fence you're on as far as extroverts are concerned. What Noah has done has worked for him, whether anyone likes it or not.
He, as a sophomore, was the heart and soul of a team that shocked the college basketball world. He was the MVP, No. 1 pick-to-be, hot item on the market. Then he came back and dealt with jealousy, scorn and being a target, and did so as the climate changed around him. With Noah often the focal point of opposing defenses and opposing fans' chants, his teammates improved.
He went from heart and soul to shield. Noah, hurt shoulder and all, became the camouflage. Because of him, you never saw the other guys coming. Florida won a second championship. Noah told the world about it.
"I've got to be me," he says simply.
That's who Chicago is getting. He's an extrovert who has to be true to himself, but at the same time, his driving force is winning. Take away the second national championship, and maybe those sacrifices made would be reflected upon differently. Noah wouldn't have lasted until the ninth pick in 2006. In 2007, there was danger he could slip even further, with that shoulder being a major reason why. Still, he won. He cut down a piece of another net, and that made it all worth it.
The Bulls chose him because they believe they have a winner on their hands, and that will translate into him elevating them where they want to go. It doesn't matter how he contributes, be it by raising the level of intensity in practice, waving a towel on the bench, or going out there and grabbing 12 rebounds a night. They expect him to do what he did at Florida -- win.
"You just got to play and do what you do," said Tyrus Thomas, who faced many of the same athlete-with-no-offensive-game criticisms currently plaguing Noah. "I told him already that you can't worry about what other people say. The people that make expectations are the people that don't really matter, so you just have to go out, play your game and do what your team needs you to do.
« Back · 1 · 2
"If it calls for him to come in and play immediately then he's got to be ready to step up to the plate. If not, he's got to sit back, but also, work off the court when no one is in the gym and get himself better."
Advertisement
Chicago expects Noah to be healthy when training camp opens in October, and he'll be thrown into a mix with Ben Wallace, Thomas and the other big men John Paxson assembled to help the Bulls take the next step in their playoff aspirations. From there, it will be up to Noah to see how well he swims. He feels a lot of the stuff Scott Skiles runs is very similar to what Billy Donovan did at Florida, so that should help.
The thought of improving daily against physical specimens like Wallace and Thomas excites Noah. Few teams in the lottery have that kind of testing ground waiting for a rookie of his caliber. All he wants to do is get better. The chiding and criticism he took while at Florida won't translate to this level, and he knows that. He won't be the focal point of opposing defenses. Fans are going to be much more likely to get on Wallace for his free throws or Kirk Hinrich for his scrappy style or Andres Nocioni for his dirty label. Noah, no matter how wild he might be perceived to be, will just try to fit in and be one of the guys. Whatever anyone outside his circle thinks of him has long been cast aside.
"You really have to know who you are because everyone forms an opinion. Everyone is going to write about you. At this level, there's so much more media, and there's so much more opinion because you're always out there," Noah said. "To me, that's why I feel like my college experiences are going to help me in the long run."
They thickened his skin.
Among his crew with the Gators, he might have been known as the loud one, but those guys more relate to him as being the guy who stood up for every battle and welcomed in every bullet. Their college days might be over, but Noah says he, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green talk daily. He has new teammates now, and he was cheering them on as best he could despite the tension inside.
Noah wants to compete. He aches to get his pro career started and start improving like Thomas did. If Thomas can put in the hours in the gym and come out with an improved jumper, so can Noah. His body just has to catch up with his enthusiasm.
"I feel very fortunate to be in this situation. The only thing that's hard right now is not being able to play. Injuries suck."