Knicks Rumors: Pros And Cons Of Pursuing Joakim Noah

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Oct 19, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bulls forward center Joakim Noah (13) (center) huddles his team before the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

Pro: Defensive Leadership

Joakim Noah won the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year award, and has made one of the two All-Defensive Teams on three occasions. During his time with the Chicago Bulls, he anchored a defense that ranked amongst the league’s elite.

Beyond his individual defense is something far more important: Noah’s energy, passion, and tenacity are nothing short of infectious on that end—and that’s true leadership.

Noah’s accolades are impressive, but they don’t fully explain what it is he brings to the table. His individual defense is both nagging and disruptive, but it’s his uncanny ability to motivate others that makes him special.

For a New York Knicks team that needs to improve and maintain its defensive intensity in 2016-17, Noah could be the perfect addition.

Noah is cut from the same cloth as Kevin Garnett as a vocal leader who stays in his teammates’ ears. He’s also willing and able to get into his opponents’ face—and subsequently, their head—in the same manner as many of the most popular players in franchise history.

Noah would be a throwback to the Knicks teams of the 1990s, and his friendships with Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose would grant him the freedom to be vocal.

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There’s obvious risk involved, but if New York can sign Noah for an affordable cost, he could transform the locker room in incredible ways.

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