REHAB ON NOAH’S KNEE LASTS LONGER THAN EXPECTED
Center feels better, has played in 3 of 4 preseason games
The surgery on center Joakim Noah’s left knee last May, deemed minor by the Bulls’ organization, appears to be a bit more serious than advertised.
The original statement said Noah would be rehabbing for eight to 10 weeks.
Noah must have missed that memo.
“I feel like I’m still in a rehab kind of state,’’ Noah said after practice Wednesday afternoon at the Advocate Center. “But I’ll be back. I feel better.
“I feel a lot better today than I did two weeks ago. That’s always a positive. Just making sure the swelling is down. It’s just a lot of rehab, and it’s boring, boring stuff. But you have to stay on top of it, be patient. I’msure it’ll come back to where I want it to be.’’
Noah has watched point guard Derrick Rose go through two season- ending knee surgeries, so he has a blueprint for rehabbing.
“Everybody’s different,’’ Noah said. “But, overall, I just know how much work [ Rose] put in. I appreciate that, as a teammate, having him around, seeing how hard he’s working every day. A lot of guys when they get hurt, they’re not around. He was around the whole time, two years. I’m sure that was frustrating at times because there’s nothing more you want than to be on the court.’’
Noah has played in three of the Bulls’ four preseason games, getting 14 minutes in the opener against the Wizards, 24 minutes against the Bucks and 21 minutes Monday against the Nuggets.
He was unsure of his workload for Thursday, when the Bulls host the Hawks. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s concern is not only getting Noah in shape, but also keeping him in a positive frame of mind regarding the knee.
“It’s gotten better and better,’’ Thibodeau said of Noah’s progress. “He’s still finding his way. He’s starting to feel better. That’s a big thing. He’s doing a lot of extra stuff now. The big thing, like with Derrick, is you’ve got to get used to the contact again. The only way to get used to that contact is to get out there. So that’s a big thing for him.’’
As is working alongside Pau Gasol. Working with Carlos Boozer for years was one thing for Noah, especially because Boozer was a power forward who did his best work in the post. Like Noah, Gasol is a passfirst big man, and the two have looked a bit clunky together on the offensive end.
“Jo and Taj [ Gibson] obviously have great chemistry because they’ve played so long together,’’ Thibodeau said. “Pau and Jo are just getting to know each other now, so that’s a work in progress. Jo is unique. Timing is such a big part of his game, and it’s starting to come. You can see he’s reading the ball well again. He’s rebounding the ball better in practice, so those are all good signs.’’ Noah agreed. “I think it’s great,’’ Noah said of playing with Gasol. “Pau is definitely a different dimension. He’s a great player. It’s early in the year. We’re working. We’re a work in progress, but it’s going to be great.’’