Having just recently returned from his recent left shoulder injury, Noah got tangled up with Dallas' JaVale McGee during the Bulls' 83-77 loss Friday. That same shoulder appeared to have popped out of place, causing Noah to scream in pain (which could be heard on the TV broadcast) and dart straight for the locker room. An MRI performed on the dislocation Saturday revealed it was serious enough that surgery will be needed, putting him out four to six months. While the Bulls expect him to fully recover, the pending free agent's season is likely over, and maybe his tenure in Chicago as well.
Say what you will about Noah's struggles this season (career-low 4.3 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game, fewest since his second season), but losing him sucks. I don't like to be that blunt when writing about anything on here, but it really sucks. No one on the roster can replace the emotional and leadership abilities he consistently brings, even if his abilities have diminished.
Noah is a warrior in every sense. He stops at nothing to ensure he can contribute, even putting his body on the line. Unfortunately, it was this mindset that did him in. It wasn't his fault since he did what he had to do in the situation, which was box out, but it's hard not to think being in that position to begin with set him up for this latest injury.
If this was indeed Noah's last game as a Bull, it was no way for him to go out. Unquestionably a top center in team history, he's given way more to the organization than anyone could have hoped for. His contagious hustle on the court and work with children and anti-violence groups off it have made him a true ambassador. Watching his recent troubles unfold was tough enough, but to see it culminate in such a setback should not be in any script ever.
From a Bulls business perspective, it throws any potential trade deadline plans out of whack. With Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis all playing their own significant roles, Noah, in a contract year, looked to be the most expendable. This was the time for him to build up his trade value so the Bulls could get something valuable, now or later, in return. With Noah no longer an option, everything seems stuck.
Some who have been clamoring for the Bulls to trade Gasol, who will likely opt out after this year, might say to do so anyway. Even before Noah went down, these Bulls didn't look like a championship team. It might be time to punt on this season so the future will be better. Gasol had the best value both before and after this latest development.
The exact meaning of Noah's loss may not be clear at first, but the fact remains that the East remains very bunched up. Cleveland is starting to pull away from everyone a bit, but you could throw darts to determine the rest of the playoff seeds. The point here is the Bulls might still have a chance to make noise in the postseason. Maybe they'll lose to LeBron James (again), but you still have to throw what you have at him and trading Gasol puts you at a larger disadvantage in the talent matchup.
I'm probably chasing waterfalls with this line of thinking, but I've always seen the glass as half full. Losing Noah might be addition by subtraction regarding the rotation's flow. Some might say Derrick Rose is disrupting things too in his own struggle to stay relevant, but that's another story. In any event, if you're in a position to at least challenge the top dog, do it instead of backing away from it.
The Bulls will have their first game in this latest stretch without Noah in an MLK Day road matinee against the Detroit Pistons. Hopefully, this won't go into overtime as the Bulls have lost of those games to Detroit already. But even if it does, a win would be helpful in stopping this recent slide they've been on. And whether another run begins where Noah's season ends is worth questioning until we get an answer.
No comments:
Post a Comment