Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah has been shut down due to plantar fasciitis, and will likely miss every game before the All-Star game, if not more. So the Bulls head to Atlanta with Brad Miller as their starting center tonight.
The Bulls lost a overtime decision to Philadelphia two nights ago, and have lost two straight since going 5-2 on their western conference road trip. Derrick Rose looked comfortable against Philly, but couldn't overcome the Sixers' shot-making.
With Noah out, this adds pressure to rookie Taj Gibson, who is also struggling from plantar fasciitis. Gibson had a poor outing in Philadelphia, as he went scoreless and with just one rebound in just under 16 minutes of play. He'll look to bounce back against the Hawks, where he'll be mathed up against the athletic Josh Smith.
Luol Deng has started out blazing hot early the last two games, but failed to maintain the production throughout the evenings. He'll have to get on the glass hard to make up for some of Noah's rebounding, and he'll have to establish his offense early and often throughout the course of a game. He and Derrick Rose are the leading scorers of the team, and both need to bring their best effort tonight.
Brad Miller had the hot hand against Houston when Noah was out, but his modest numbers this season is a concern going forward, should Noah miss considerably more time. The Bulls could sign center Chris Richard to a 10-day contract.
Once again, reports are popping up saying the Bulls are hoping to get two big time players this summer. This could spell the end of Kirk Hinrich, John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas at this upcoming deadline, if the Bulls find a deal that makes sense for them. With Noah out Chicago will likely struggle, and they're trying to establish a game plan for the next two weeks, in regards to February 18th.
Filed under: Game Threads
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, chicago bulls, derrick rose, Joakim Noah, josh smith, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson
It's a shame that after playing a big part in that eye-opening road trip Joakim and Taj now are both saddled with injuries. I don't see how the Bulls win in Atlanta or most anywhere else without those guys. Maybe Taj can bounce back, but that injury seems to just get worse without some major downtime.
You just wonder if that burst of success with D-Rose major star balling and the excellent shot blocking and defensive field goal shut down of at minimum solid Western Conference teams if they can point to that as the future for a top free agent this summer. Maybe not, but if so even if they hit the skids now and can add another Taj/quality guy in this year's draft rather then another JJ(so far), that might be a pretty appealing package to a smart dude like D-Wade who wants to win. I'm sure a more appealing scenario is for the bulls to be winning with D-Rose starring along with Noah and Taj playing at an impact level. But I do wonder if the fruits of that trip have more value down the road then people might realize.
Kirk is overrated as a starter. No question. However as a bench guy averaging say 23 minutes per game on a good team he'd be an asset. With good interior D to back him up, he is pretty good pressuring on the perimeter. In shorter minutes where he can focus his limited energy his shots with good form and opportunity would fall at an acceptable rate. And his late game costly turnovers wouldn't exist with him not being over worked, and asked to do too much. If L.A. could have Kirk instead of say Farmar right now I believe they'd take him in a heartbeat. Around better players and high energy I think Kirk is a good player. Just not as a starting PG expected to do more then he's capable of.
As for Noah, using him as an excuse for other Bulls deficiencies like a second scoring All-Star or interior big who can score is/would be a sham. But that doesn't change the fact that he is important to the team nonetheless. His shot blocking/doubling on that road trip, rebounding, fine passing for a big man, and yes double digit scoring average all make him legit for the Bulls future especially if he can add another 10-15 pounds of weight so the really big scoring centers can't bump him off balance on the block.
I forgot to mention that due to Kirk's high salary which is that of a starter not a good bench guy, teams simply can't afford to him. That's the only reason good teams like L.A./Phil don't go after him.