The @nyknicks happy to have Joakim Noah back ➡️ https://t.co/qjm7JxIcg1
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 16, 2016
Joakim Noah
The New York Knicks have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of starting center Joakim Noah. The Knicks’ $72 million man missed the Knicks’ first three preseason games with a hamstring injury and hurt his ankle during the lead-up to Saturday’s outing.
It didn’t take long for Noah to make his mark, as he put forth a solid first performance in a Knicks jersey against the Boston Celtics.
.@kporzee on playing with @JoakimNoah for the first time tonight in @TheGarden: "I loved it." #NYKvsBOS
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2016
Noah played 19 minutes against Boston, which was critical progress. He wasn’t exactly dominant, but merely taking the court and providing quality minutes is the type of development that his team needed to facilitate long-term growth.
In his 19 minutes of court time, Noah provided five points, five rebounds, one offensive board, one assist, and two steals on 2-of-4 shooting.
The statistics rarely matter with Noah, as his impact is felt well beyond the box score. His numbers accurately displayed his tenacity on defense, however, and also flashed his invaluable ability to facilitate from the high post.
Noah is going to be one of the Knicks’ most valuable players on both ends of the floor in 2016-17. He began to show why during his preseason debut.