Joakim Noah’s demotion to a reserve role couldn’t have come at a worse time for the 6’11 center. Noah, age 30, is looking to sign his last big contract deal next summer before his age officially catches up to him. With Fred Hoiberg’s decision to bring Noah off the bench, it puts Noah in a tough position to prove he’s worth another big contract.
Plenty of players have made a good living off their bench role. Manu Ginobili and Jamal Crawford are two of the biggest examples of players who’ve made a living off the reserve role. After making the Allstar team and leading his team to a few impressive playoff runs, Andre Iguodala was also demoted to a reserve role with the Warriors where he played a key part in their championship run.
“Whatever is best for the team. It’s not about me right now, it’s about this team. We have to figure out ways to get better, and we will.” Joakim Noah
Can Joakim Noah make a smooth transition to the bench that’ll help ensure him another big deal in the summer? That’s still unknown. Though, his strong preseason performances off the bench show that Noah is healthy for the first time in two seasons. With his back up against the wall as he’s taken a backseat to Pau Gasol, Noah will need to bring everything he has to the court in order to prove to the rest of the NBA that he’s still a big time player but just in a new role.
Joakim Noah doesn’t seemed phased by the changes. In fact, it’s his comments almost make you believe that he’s asked for the reserve role so he can play next to Taj Gibson. Only time will tell if Joakim Noah will make a smooth transition, but he’s shown he’s capable of adapting to his new role in the preseason.
