Joakim Noah may struggle on offense for Chicago Bulls?

While Joakim Noah isn’t what you’d call a scoring machine, he has proven himself to be an offensive focal point for the Chicago Bulls.

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Such a role could be mitigated this season thanks to the signing of Pau Gasol who, like Noah, is one of the best passing big men in the league. But more than that, there is reason to have concern over Joakim Noah’s age and offseason surgery according to Basketball Insiders who believes Noah’s offensive game could be declining.

"Noah will eventually be himself on defense, but his offense will be something to keep an eye on as his athleticism declines with age—he turns 30 this year. He can be an effective midrange shooter when wide open, but his slow and low release means that teams can stray very far off him and still recover. They have not been guarding him at all in the preseason, and that is a problem when Pau Gasol is trying to post up."

Not only will Paul Gasol cut into Joakim Noah’s ball handling but so will the return of Derrick Rose, who is the most effective when the ball is in his hands.

By no stretch is this a suggestion that the former Florida star has hit a brick wall and will be a liability on the offensive end, but he may not be as effective as he’s been in the past given the circumstances surrounding him.

That may not exactly be a bad thing for the Chicago Bulls either as it will allow Noah to focus his game on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass where he makes his money. Anything he provides on the offensive side of the ball would simply be icing on the Chicago Bulls’ cake.

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