Noah is Bulls' Energizer bunny
In most sports, part of the hazing process is making rookies wear ridiculous outfits after a game.
If the Bulls' veterans have such plans, they'll be hard-pressed to come up with something more outrageous than some of the outfits Joakim Noah already has worn.
When the eccentric 6-11 power forward is getting dressed after a game, you often will find a veteran looking over at Joakim Noah and shaking his head in disbelief. Noah regularly wears pants with more patterns than a Mike Martz playbook, and sometimes the first item he puts on after emerging from the shower is his sunglasses.
His draft-night attire -- the seersucker suit and bow tie -- was the norm, not the exception.
But his fashion sense notwithstanding, there's little doubt Noah's development will be key in whether the Bulls are able to salvage some respectability this season.
Even though he had modest averages of 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds heading into the Bulls' home game Saturday against the Sacramento Kings, Noah has played much better of late. And the Bulls have been at their best when he's playing well.
''He's coming along, and we really need that kind of play from him,'' Bulls guard Ben Gordon said.
The reason is simple: Noah can provide a dimension no one else on the roster can.
''He comes in and plays with a lot of energy,'' coach Jim Boylan said. ''He's long, he's big around the basket, he gets his hands on a lot of balls, he gets a lot of deflections, he blocks shots. We're looking for that energy coming off the bench, then any kind of offensive production we get out of him is kind of a bonus.''
The way Noah is playing now is what the Bulls expected when they selected him with ninth pick in the NBA draft in June. But he looked lost during most of the first two months of the season.
The assessment of former coach Scott Skiles a month ago was blunt and to the point: ''He has a lot to learn about the pro game.''
It's an assessment Noah probably wouldn't have disputed at the time, but he said he is more comfortable now with the Bulls' system and life in the NBA.
''I think I know what I need to do,'' he said. ''I just need to get better, and when my name is called, I need to be ready. It's tough because I want to play more; it's frustrating. But the difference right now is I understand the direction of what the coach is trying to do. That's important.''
Boylan said he has noticed a change.
''The simple things we're doing, going through a walkthrough or practices, he seems to be more comfortable,'' Boylan said. ''He understands better what we're trying to get done during a practice, as opposed to when he first came in and you had to kind of teach him everything. He's learned a lot in a short period of time, so we're really pleased with his progress. We think he's going to be able to contribute as we go forward.''
The one thing Noah doesn't understand at this point is how much he's going to play from game to game, but he's not fretting about that right now.
''I feel like I just need to work hard every day in practice and keep getting better,'' he said. ''I know that one day my time will come.''
Like any player, Noah's playing time will become more consistent when his play does. After he had a season-high 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 18 minutes Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats, he was scoreless in 15 minutes the next night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
''Anytime you're out there, especially if you're a young player, you can go the way the game is going,'' Boylan said. ''If things are going well for you, then your enthusiasm and concentration and focus are really sharp. When the game starts to get away, that's also a time when you can lose that.''
That sort of inconsistency should be expected from Noah at this point because nothing has been consistent for him so far in the NBA -- including his coach.
''It was definitely weird, and it definitely makes you aware that it's a business,'' he said of Skiles' firing Dec. 24. ''It was more weird than anything. You're used to having a mentor that you see every day, and out of nowhere he gets fired.
''Honestly, it wasn't out of nowhere because we knew something had to be done; it was going to be somebody eventually. When you're losing, especially a team with such expectations, something had to happen.''
Noah, who won NCAA championships in his final two years at Florida, compares this season to his freshman year in college, when he didn't play much. As was the case in college, he thinks hard work and determination will be the key to earning more playing time.
''I think the best thing that I did was move to the suburbs because it really keeps me focused and away from a lot of distractions,'' he said. ''I think that's important. ... I can't imagine what it would be like in the city.''
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