FACE OF FRUSTRATION
Noah not happy, but he’s putting Bulls’ needs first
The balancing act continues for Bulls big man Joakim Noah.
Noah admittedly is frustrated with his role as a bench player, but he prides himself on being a ‘‘team guy.’’
He acts like the business end of basketball is secondary, but he knows his value on the free-agent market is about to be weighed when his contract is up after this season.
He’s saying the right things, but he’s letting it be known that his sacrifice should be acknowledged.
It’s a delicate line to walk for Noah, and he inched closer to crossing over it Tuesday.
‘‘I don’t talk contract and I don’t talk future,’’ Noah said when he was asked how he can keep the business side of the game in the background. ‘‘I don’t know what you want me to say.’’
When asked how he blocks out the idea that his reduced playing time might hurt him on the market, Noah responded: ‘‘How do you? Right now, I don’t have a choice. I’m just focused on my improvement; it’s all I can do right now. I think the team’s in the right place. I’ve always been a team player. I’m not gonna change now.’’
Asked whether there was a positive side to the reduction in minutes for a guy who has had knee issues and is getting older, Noah said: ‘‘No, I feel great. I feel like I’m moving well and I feel healthy.’’
Noah played one of his better games of the season in the Bulls’ 92-89 victory Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. He had eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 23 minutes, about three more than his season average.
Afterward, though, he was obviously frustrated with his reduced role.
‘‘I’m not going to lie and say there hasn’t been a lot going on this year,’’ Noah said. ‘‘There’s been a lot of adversity for me. I have to be better at being a good leader for this team.’’
That’s easy to say now that the Bulls are 10-5. But what if they hit a rough patch? Will that affect Noah’s team-first attitude?
Coach Fred Hoiberg is hoping that won’t be an issue, but he also has shown he’s not afraid to make tough decisions.
Hoiberg said the idea of switching Noah to the bench didn’t just occur to him during training camp; it went back to when he watched game film and analyzed the team after he was hired.
‘‘You think a lot about that when you watch the film,’’ Hoiberg said. ‘‘We watched all the games from last year, watched all the different combinations, looked at the numbers for all the different combinations that were out there. Then you make the decision that you feel is best for the team and try to get your guys to go out there and buy in.’’
How much Noah truly is buying in remains to be seen. But he doesn’t have much of a choice right now.
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