NBA Opening Night: What to watch for in each match-up

Knicks: Joakim Noah

Many scoffed when the former Florida Gator center signed for $72 million this offseason with the new look Knicks. These doubts may have been well warranted due to Noah’s injury history and ineffectiveness last season. At the same time, the emotional center finished fourth, behind superstars Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin, in MVP voting just two seasons ago.  

Then, in 2014-2015, Noah’s numbers declined with the addition of Pau Gasol in Chicago. He was still effective as the only NBA player to average more than eight rebounds a game (9.6) and four assists (4.7). Noah was also one of two non-guards (Lebron the other) to have more than 7.3 assists per 48 minutes.

When Fred Hoiberg came in to replace Tom Thibodeau with the Bulls, Noah’s key role vanished. He only played in 29 games due to injuries, but in those games he managed a sorry 4.3 PPG with a poor 38% from the field.

So is Noah’s career on the decline, or was he just effected by a new, possibly poor coach and injuries last season? While the first Knicks game will not give a definitive answer, it could give a good idea as to how Noah’s season will go if healthy.

If the enigmatic center is relied on mostly for defense and rebounding, a repeat of his 2015-2016 stats can be expected. Noah was at his best was when Thibs allowed the offense to run through him playing at the high post with cutters and shooters surrounding him. Starting two guard Courtney Lee can fit this role, and even Derrick Rose can fit mostly due to his experience with Noah. The rest of the Knicks key players, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Brandon Jennings, may not be great fits due to their need to have the ball in their hands to be effective, but this remains to be seen.

When Joakim was allowed to have a usage percentage of 18.7%, he finished fifth in the league in value over replacement player (VOR). As a player who makes up for fundamental shortcomings with effort, hustle, and heart, Noah needs playing time and playmaking opportunities to fuel his terrific defense. If he is not given these opportunities, he is no better than any other good rebounding, bad scoring center that can be found on most other teams around the association.

Keep a look out for how many minutes Noah gets, but more importantly, how many opportunities he gets to hold the ball at the high post or elbows with movement surrounding him.

Bonus to watch: unknown bench players on Knicks with great names like Willy Hernangomez.