Noah's Growth Deserves Recognition

It was June 28th, 2007, and the NBA Draft was scheduled to take place that night. Headlining the draft was Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, two dominant college players who would soon be the top two picks. Oden went to the Portland Trail Blazers at number one overall and Durant quickly followed after he was drafted to the Seattle Sonics. A little farther down the line, at number nine, sat the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls had not been relevant lately and were building from the ground up at this point. Many people expected Spencer Hawes to be the name that left David Stern's mouth when he announced the Bulls' pick. However, David Stern did not announce Spencer Hawes' name until the tenth pick which belonged to the Sacramento Kings. With the ninth overall pick in the draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Joakim Noah, a two-time NCAA champion and, to many, a kid that would never be mature enough to be a professional. I can remember people being upset and even mad that the Bulls would "waste a pick". Maybe it's because I like players that bring energy and heart and maybe not as much skill, but I could see Joakim Noah being a young Dennis Rodman right off the bat. Tenacious on the boards, a team player, and a garbage man.

Clearly, I'm a Bulls fan and living near Chicago is going to make me a little biased. However, nobody can deny that now, nearly six years later, Joakim Noah has performed to an All-Star level and has stepped up more than anyone could have expected in Derrick Rose's absence. Averaging a double-double at 12 points and 10 rebounds a game, Noah has shown improvement every single season. In fact, Noah has doubled his averages since his rookie year and that comes with his unbelievable work ethic. Not to mention his free throw percentage has gone up and he has brought a little jump shot to his game, regardless of how unorthodox it may look. You can see it in his game that Noah is a competitor and a winner. People thought he was nuts in college for the yelling after made baskets or the crazy celebrations. That's just Joakim Noah, always ready to play.

Yet Noah's stats are not the only thing that make him a special player and, to me, an All-Star. What makes him so fun to watch is the hustle. Stacey King says it best when he says Noah is composed of "Heart, hustle, and muscle". I couldn't say it better myself. If you watch Joakim Noah, he has a hand on nearly every rebound, and he never gives up on a shot. Take tonight's game for instance: the clock was winding down and the Bulls needed a bucket. Marco Belinelli took the shot and the ball came off the rim, bouncing toward the camera men on the baseline. Joakim dove and kept the ball in play and Belinelli laid it up for two points and, ultimately, a win. It's plays like that that make Noah stand out among other big men. Noah continually puts his body on the line and really doesn't care about the recognition he may or may not get. That's what makes him special and that's why the Bulls are where they are, despite the fact that Derrick Rose is still recovering.

I really hope Joakim Noah earns a spot in the All-Star game. Actually, let me rephrase that: I hope Joakim Noah is voted into the All-Start game, he's already earned the spot. You can hate his energy and you can hate his colorful personality, but you can't hate his game. He brings energy to the game that very few, if any, players bring in today's game. He has a tenacity and a willingness to get better every single day. I can remember last year when he suffered a hand injury WGN showed a clip of him in practice doing jump hooks with one hand covered in a cast. Joakim Noah is a warrior, and a player that is good for the league. Here's to hoping he gets to put on an All-Star jersey this year.