Old injury haunts Noah's new career
Former UF forward Joakim Noah is fuming.
Not the same way we're used to seeing him, though. He's not the chest-thumping, shouting, ball of energy that shook the O'Connell Center for three seasons.
No, this is a Joakim Noah who's had his love taken away, his livelihood.
"It's tough," Joakim Noah said of missing his first four Pepsi Pro Summer League games with the Chicago Bulls. "I'm a guy that just goes out there and plays. Not being able to play isn't something I'm used to, something I like. If I wanted to play, I'd play. But right now, I'm going back to Chicago to rehab with the trainers."
Joakim Noah suffered a partial tear in his right rotator cuff during UF's Feb. 21 against South Carolina. Joakim Noah's desire to win took precedence over the pain, and he opted to play through it instead of having surgery.
If this were the regular season, Joakim Noah would very likely be suiting up for the Bulls. However, with NBA training camps still three months away, Chicago is being very cautious with the ninth overall pick from last month's draft.
Joakim Noah has spent the past week playing cheerleader on the sidelines instead of on the court. But don't mistake the 2006 Final Four's Most Outstanding Player for a budding sloth.
If you want to find the 6-foot-11 forward, you should probably look for Bulls strength and condition coach Erik Helland.
Joakim Noah, who is in Orlando with the rest of the Bulls for the Summer League, spends large portions of his day working with Helland outside of the RDV Sportsplex in the 90-degree summer heat. Joakim Noah hopes time and hard work will facilitate a speedy recovery.
"Coming back depends on how well I feel. I'm doing a lot of running - a lot of cardio - and I'm just trying to stay in shape."
In the meantime, it seems Joakim Noah and former LSU forward Tyrus Thomas are developing a friendship. The new teammates have known each other since their respective stints in college and have kept in touch.
"Tyrus is my guy," Joakim Noah said. "We met a couple years back, and I'm excited about playing with him. We're going to have fun playing together."
Joakim Noah and Thomas are poised to eventually form one of the more energetic and athletic frontlines in recent memory. Thomas has shown great improvement on his midrange jumper in the Summer League, and Joakim Noah is seeking to build on the groundwork he laid as a Gator.
"I'm just trying to get better in every aspect of the game," Joakim Noah said. "I'm not really focused on one thing, but I'm just trying to be a better basketball player. I need to improve all of my skills."
Despite hailing from New York, Joakim Noah hopes to spend his entire career in the Windy City.
"There are some great guys here," Joakim Noah said. "I've met all of them, guys like Ben Gordon, and I like the energy and passion those guys play with. It's weird saying that as a Knick fan, but I want to spend my whole career here."
See more at www.alligator.org
