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New York Knicks: What Every Starter Has To Prove

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 19, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bulls forward center Joakim Noah (13) complains about a foul call against him during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets win 130-105. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chicago Bulls forward center Joakim Noah (13) complains about a foul call against him during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets win 130-105. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

Joakim Noah: Still A Defensive Anchor

Position: Center
Age: 31 (2/25/1985)
Slash Line: .383/.000/.489
Season Averages: 21.9 MPG, 4.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3.0 ORPG, 3.8 APG, 1.0 BPG, 0.6 SPG

Following the 2013-14 NBA season, one could make a case that no defensive player was more coveted than Joakim Noah. Noah had just won Defensive Player of the Year and led a Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls team to a 48-34 record.

Noah doesn’t need to return to the All-NBA First Team in 2016-17, but the Knicks need him to prove that he can still be a defensive anchor.

Noah is coming off of a season during which he set career lows in points, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage. He’s never been much of a scorer, but shooting 38.3 percent from the field would be unacceptable for any player, let alone a center.

More important than his scoring, however, is the fact that he’s struggled to remain healthy in three of the past four seasons.

The promising news with Noah is that his injuries have usually been unlucky, unfortunate, and not career-threatening. He suffered a shoulder injury in 2015-16 and has been battered and bruised in the past, but rarely severely injured.

If Noah can stay healthy and find his niche in Jeff Hornacek’s offense—something Fred Hoiberg never afforded him the opportunity to do—the New York Knicks’ defense will thrive.

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