Chicago Bulls‘ big man Joakim Noah’s left knee could be an issue throughout the entire NBA season
More from Chicago Bulls
- NBA Rumors: Warriors, Lakers among contenders for key free agent
- 3 players Bulls can sign with Disabled Player Exception
- NBA free agency: The 3 biggest losers in this offseason so far
- The new NBA flopping rules explained
- 5 players Sixers could acquire in Harden deal to stay competitive
The Chicago Bulls had a very productive offseason.
They may not have added New York Knicks‘ forward Carmelo Anthony but the Bulls had a fantastic offseason. They drafted former Creighton Blue Jays forward Doug McDermott in the draft and signed both former Los Angeles Lakers‘ power forward Pau Gasol and former Real Madrid forward Nikola Mirotic in the offseason.
Of course, the biggest reason for their optimism is the return of point guard Derrick Rose, the 2010-2011 league MVP. He has returned from another knee injury and looked great on Monday night when he scored 30 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, another Bulls’ star, center Joakim Noah, has a knee injury that could potentially derail the Bulls’ season.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times, citing a source, Joakim Noah’s knee could be an issue all season.
"“Jo’s [left] knee is going to be an issue all season,’’ the source said. “He has played through pain before with the plantar [fasciitis], but this is completely different, a different level.’’The source wouldn’t go into detail on what exactly was the lingering issue with Noah’s knee, especially after he had exploratory surgery in May that was deemed minor. He was asked if Noah’s knee would be a problem beyond this season and said, “I’m not getting into that.’’General manager Gar Forman would only say in a text on Tuesday that “Jo’s doing well.’’"
Obviously, the Bulls need the 2013-2014 Defensive Player of the Year to be a true contender in the Eastern Conference this year. Most teams don’t have an interior presence like him and he could be the key player in a potential match up with the Cavaliers.
Joakim Noah averaged 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 73.7% from the charity stripe last season.