Joakim Noah is a Top 5 Center in the NBA. He has matured and grown into the potential that was seen in him coming out of Florida. Here's how he stacks up to some of the elites this season:
Dwight Howard: 18.7 ppg, 10.8 rbp, 1.82 bpg, 1.5 apg
Andrew Bynum: 20.8 ppg, 11.8 rbp, 1.9 bpg, 1.6 apg
Brooke Lopez: 17.0 ppg, 8.2 rbp, 2.3 bpg, 1.4 apg
Joakim Noah: 11.8 ppg, 12.2 rbp, 2.0 bpg, 2.2 apg
League Leaders (for qualified players): 22.3 ppg, 11.4 trb, 2.44 bpg, 3.3 apg
Noah's points per game are not where they are capable of because the Bulls are filled with jump shooters (Rose, Deng, Salmons, Hinrich) and therefore he is not being utilized in the offense, but his rebounds, blocks and assists for big men are near the top of the league and higher than Howard, Gasol AND Bynum, all having great seasons.
Noah is leading or Top 5 in Rebounds, Blocks and Assists, and will only continue to improve. By the end of the season Noah will be top five in these categories for Centers and top 10 in points per game right around 15 or 16
Yes, ahead of Kaman. Noah is a rebounding, blocking machine that can dish out the assists with any of the big men in the league and just needs to get fed the ball more which won't happen on a jump shooting team.
Thursday night v Lakers: 12 points, 15 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks Tuesday night v Kings: 15 points, 14 boards, 1 assist, 2 blocks
He can put up 15-15-4-2 all season long and nobody would give him credit because his name is Joakim Noah and he is a center for the Bulls. When Howard puts up 15 points 15 boards everyone says he had an all right game but can (and should) do better. When Joakim does it, they say it's a fluke and that he will come down to earth. He is for real and my prediction right now is that he will lead the league in rebounds and lead big men in assists by the end of the season
He is for real and my prediction right now is that he will lead the league in rebounds and lead big men in assists by the end of the seasonHe is for real as a great rebounder and defender. He is an extremely hard worker, and doesn't give up on anything. He gets lots of garbage baskets, but is not a guy that can create offensively, or put pressure on an opposing center when he is on offense with the ball. He isn't a talented player on the offensive end.
As for leading big men in assists. Only if Gasol gets hurt again, Camby gets hurt, and Boozer goes down. We will also see how a longer season (if he keeps up his 35 minutes a game) affects him as the season goes on.
and just needs to get fed the ball more which won't happen on a jump shooting team.A jump shooting team is a good post center's dream. That's what Shaq has won with, what Olajuwon won with, what Duncan has won with. PF's like Horry than can shoot. guys like Smith, Maxwell, Fisher, Ginobili, and all the rest that can hit the open shot when the ball goes down low. There's nothing better for a good post player than forcing the double team and kicking it out to a guy who can make the shot right there.
And when it comes to rebounds, you are also loving those jump shooters. More long rebounds that go over the guy boxing you out.
Chicago being a good jump shooting team is what is helping Noah with his rebounds and assists, not hurting them.
When Howard puts up 15 points 15 boards everyone says he had an all right game but can (and should) do better. When Joakim does it, they say it's a fluke and that he will come down to earth. That's because Dwight Howard has been doing that rather consistently for 3-4 years now. Joakim Noah has one career 15pt-15rbd game.
Once in 170 plus games is a fluke until you prove you can keep doing it. Yeah that statement you made is pretty much right. Shaq getting triple doubles is a fluke. Kidd, Magic, and Oscar, much more consistent at that. Not really a comparison to be made. And neither is Noah vs. Dwight yet.
Chicago being a good jump shooting team is what is helping Noah with his rebounds and assists, not hurting them.But the ball never goes down to him. That is the problem. It's a big man's dream IF the team can use a big man as an advantage. Shaq, Duncan, and Olajuwon are all first ballot hall of famers. Noah is not going to be. Also, he is not a post center so much as a finess center. His free throws are better and he is getting his 15 foot jump shot so he can take advantage of the soft defense. Only if Gasol gets hurt again, Camby gets hurt, and Boozer goes down.Bynum will be playing more center and Boozer is a PF. I'm referring to the center position when I talk about "big men". Players like Duncan, Garnett and Dirk would not be in this discussion since they mostly play the PF position That's because Dwight Howard has been doing that rather consistently for 3-4 years now. Joakim Noah has one career 15pt-15rbd game.Is that why David Lee hasn't gotten any respect for his play? Sure, he got accolades at the end of the year, but Troy Murphy and David Lee were both in the top five in double-doubles for the majority of last season and it took until the last month and a half or so for them to even be recognized as such consistent players. 15-15 is still 15-15 no matter who puts them up. Noah doesn't get any respect for the potential he has on the offensive side of the ball or on the glass. Trpy Murphy put up those kinds of numbers last year, but he probably wouldn't have made anybody's list for even top 15 PF's in the league.
That's what I'm saying, it's NOT all about the points. Ben Gordon is a bad teammate because he plays poor defense and is very close to becoming THE black hole in the NBA. It's about overall play which is why I stated that, other than points, Noah is the best rebounding defensive center in the league right now, but does not have enough points to make him the best in the league right now. Although points are a highly weighted stat, I look at players by how good they are at what they should be good at. a 15 ppg, 10 apg point guard is better (IMO) than a 20 ppg, 5 apg player. A big man who pulls down everything, can block shots and is a good passer is more valuable to me than a center who throws down 25 ppg
It's pretty amazing that Bynum has better numbers than Dwight Howard. He definetly deserves to be an All-Star this year. Who are the idiots that designated Amar'e as a center when he's clearly not?
Howard is the clear #1 then after that there are a bunch of guys you could make an argument for as far as being top 5. Andrew Bogut deserves to be in that conversation too. When healthy he is as good as anyone not named Howard. (or Yao if you are counting him)
Who are the idiots that designated Amar'e as a center when he's clearly not? ...mostly Suns fans with a slight inferiority complex when it comes to measuring up with the Lakers in the pivot/low post. Bynum & Gasol > Frye & Stoudemire.
I like Noah a lot, actually - as far as the East is concerned, I think both he and Al Horford are top 5 center material, to go along with Howard and maybe even Brook Lopez, who unfortunately is surrounded by such a bad team...the Nets need to get healthy.
I would put Noah second or third in the East for centers, which would have him fourth or fifth in the league. The east has better big men than the west does, but the west is by far the better league
