It’s not too late for New York Knicks starting center Joakim Noah to turn his season around and become the key contributor he’s capable of being.
Team president Phil Jackson had a wildly successful summer. A number of his key acquisitions have excelled with the New York Knicks in 2016-17, including Willy Hernangomez, Justin Holiday, Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee, and Derrick Rose.
Unfortunately, the one player who hasn’t yet shown signs of progress was the most expensive acquisition: Joakim Noah.
Jackson and the Knicks signed Joakim Noah to a four-year deal worth $72 million. Though he has taken accountability for his early struggles, Noah hasn’t yet justified the $18 million per season investment.
According to Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post, an anonymous Eastern Conference executive acknowledged that Noah is even struggling in the areas he’s normally successful.
“He’s even struggling with things that you’d never think he’d ever struggle with. It’s more than adjusting to a new city or a new offense. It’s a completely different player.”
That’s the most troubling reality with Noah.
It must be noted that the 31-year-old is stepping up in a number of significant areas. He’s currently averaging 13.1 rebounds, 5.0 offensive rebounds, and 4.4 assists per 36 minutes, which are all elite numbers for a center.
Other areas in which Noah has been consistently solid, however, have been those in which he’s most notably struggled in 2016-17.
Noah has had trouble boxing opponents out on the defensive glass. The numbers display that, as the Knicks are allowing 9.2 offensive rebounds per 36 with Noah on the court and 8.7 per 36 minutes when he isn’t.
That number isn’t necessarily the best possible reflection, but aggressive opponents have seen little resistance when attacking the offensive glass.
Even more important than the rebounding is the overall defensive inconsistency that Noah is uncharacteristically displaying. He’s struggling with his range of motion against the pick and roll, has underwhelmed when protecting the rim, and isn’t yet elevating those around him.
Thus far in 2016-17, the Knicks are allowing 108.9 points per 100 possessions with Noah on the court and 107.7 without him.
Though it may seem like a less significant area of weakness, the microcosm of Noah’s struggles—and potentially, the solution—can be found at the free throw line. A career 70.3 percent free throw shooter, Noah is converting at a clip of just 30.6 percent in 2016-17.
One can’t help but believe that his issues at the free throw line come down to confidence—and, in turn, one can’t help but believe the rest of his game is suffering for that same reason.
Noah is blowing shots around the rim that he’d normally be able to convert and failing to throw his weight around like he’s known to do. Perhaps he’s in a transitional stage, where he’s learning to play a style that’s better suited for this stage of his career.
Perhaps he simply doesn’t feel as comfortable in his own body as he used to due to the wear and tear of 10 physical years in the NBA.
No matter the reason for his struggles, one thing remains true: it’s not too late for Noah to figure it all out and help the New York Knicks realize their true potential.
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