To many, the Knicks would have been better served writing a check for $72 million, taking it out in the backyard and setting it on fire, rather than signing Joakim Noah.
Noah was supposed to galvanize the defense and bring it together. That simply hasn’t happened yet. The Knicks are 24th in scoring defense (106.6 ppg), 19th in field goal defense (.454) and 29th in opponents’ offensive rebounds (11.82).
After they were mauled on the backboards and pushed around Monday at home against Oklahoma City, Noah admitted his frustrations.
“We just gotta keep grinding. It’s not fun to have that happen and have to answer questions about guys out-rebounding you, out-competing you,” Noah said.
After practice Tuesday in preparation for a home-and-home set with the Timberwolves, starting Wednesday in Minnesota, coach Jeff Hornacek stressed that not just Noah but everybody stunk in the effort against Oklahoma City.
Not everybody, however, is a former Defensive Player of the Year signed for four years and $72 million. But was he supposed to reject the money and his hometown?
“If they thought they were getting the All-Star Joakim Noah of a couple years ago, then that’s on them,” said one opposing executive who overall is an admitted Noah fan. “He’s a veteran glue guy. You take what he does. He still rebounds. He’s still a terrific passer, still a good one-on-one defender. He doesn’t score? He never did score.”
The executive also stressed Noah, limited to 29 games last season with a bum shoulder, has a lot of wear on his treads. Noah played for years in Chicago under a demanding coach, Tom Thibodeau, now in Minnesota. Thibodeau will see his old charges, Noah and Derrick Rose, Wednesday then Friday at the Garden.
“Joakim Noah played hard for years, played a lot of minutes and played hurt,” the exec said.
One area Noah, averaging a career-low 4.0 points per game, has gotten a bad rap is rebounding: 8.1 in 22.5 minutes. In nine previous seasons, he averaged 9.4 in 29.5 minutes. Per 36 minutes, Noah has the third best numbers of his career. But New York is a “what have you done for me lately” place.
On Monday, Noah did little. That was Monday, though.
“He has helped me tremendously, especially defensively,” Kristaps Porzingis said. “It’s hard for me to see him struggle. I know he wants to play better, he’s 100 percent committed. He’s the type of guy who always wants to win.
“So it’s hard to see him not playing at the level he can play. But with the type of guy he is, the type of focus he has, he will find himself soon and we’ll be a much better team.”
Noah missed two games with the flu after struggling with hamstring issues in training camp. So acclimation woes are understandable, but too often he has been awful, even shooting free throws: .711 for nine years in Chicago, .286 with the Knicks.
“He’s had some ups and downs with the injury and the hamstring so the conditioning hasn’t been there. Then he got sick. But I thought his energy was good [Monday],” Hornacek said. “Offensively he’s trying to figure out, trying to get under a low spot a little more so when our guards penetrate they can kick it to him and get him some dunks. We keep emphasizing for him to roll to the basket, for our guards to hit the rollers, because we still believe he can get eight, 10, 12 points just off rolling hard to the basket or getting dump-off passes. If you’re in the right spot a lot of those will happen.”
Right spot, right time, stuff.
“Obviously it’s a new team, new system, new role and he’s still trying to get accustomed,” Courtney Lee said. “He’s a guy that anchors the defense. He’s going to protect the rim, get deflections, rebound and he’s also a guy that likes to get assists on the offensive end. He’s going to help us in the long run.”
The Knicks hope. Because the 17-game short run, one-fifth of the season, has been disastrous for Noah.