The media has conditioned us to believe that guys who score 30 points a game, sell jerseys, and generally talk the talk are superstars. That’s why so many fans drool over the Carmelo Anthonys and Kevin Loves, even if they have never had any real NBA success outside of Carmelo’s Nuggets making the 2009 Western Conference Finals. There are guys that fall below the radar, but in reality are superstars and unless you’re a basketball nerd, you’d never really know it. Will and I have been really hard on Joakim Noah this season. He started off this season in a malaise. We openly wondered on Twitter if he had pulled a Kevin McHale. If you're not familiar with what we're talking about, McHale played the 1986 playoffs and into the Finals on a broken ankle and just never looked the same afterwards. We wondered if Joakim Noah had gutted out that Brooklyn Nets series last year in the playoffs and subsequently, the series against Miami and we weren't going to see that same guy anymore. Noah has taken that thought, slammed it in our faces, and made us eat our words. I couldn't be happier. Recently, Chad Ford of ESPN caused a stir by saying there were rumors that Joakim Noah is on the trade block. Immediately, I brushed it off and addressed it on Twitter. Frankly depending on how you look at it, Joakim Noah might be the best center in the National Basketball Association. Sounds absurd doesn't it? I decided to research it and used many different criteria: Raw stats, field goals made that were assisted and not assisted, field goal percentages from every area on the court, percentages of rebounds they get, Player Impact Estimate, how many 2nd chance and points they score in the paint, how many points their opponents score in the paint, All-Star Appearances, Defensive Player of the Year Awards, All NBA Defensive Team mentions, All-NBA mentions, and advanced metrics such as opponents field goal percentage at the rim and percentage of rebounds per chance. I ran these numbers for Joakim Noah, Roy Hibbert, Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol, Tyson Chandler, and Brook Lopez - the 7 best NBA centers I could think of and you know what I noticed? There's not a center on that list that I would take over Joakim Noah. His skills take a backseat to no other center in the NBA. He's been unreal the last 10 games, averaging 13.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 36 minutes per game. His field goal percentage has been low - 44%, but he's getting to the line almost 6 times a game and shooting 76% from there. The Bulls are 7-3 in that stretch. They just came off of a 5 game winning streak and Noah is the catalyst. Fans keep begging for Gar Forman and John Paxson to find that second star. The Bulls have that second star and his name is Joakim Noah. What he does on the basketball court is unmatched. Watch the following videos and tell me there's any other big men that can do what he's doing. The first is from 2009 and is a famous highlight from the playoffs when he stole the ball from Paul Pierce, went the length of the court, and slammed it: The next one is from 2011-2012 and a game against the Hawks. The Bulls have run this play successfully numerous times, including this year, but Deng missed the layup. Remember, Derrick Rose was healthy and on fire in this game, but Thibs draws up this play for Noah and Deng: Watch these next two videos and keep in mind this is your CENTER throwing alley-oops to your POWER FORWARD: Bulls fans, we need to stop looking at Joakim Noah as this all-world energy guy and cheerleader and remember he's a phenomenal basketball player on both ends. He's a legitimate triple-double threat every night, he plays with passion and energy, he's one of the top 3 centers in the NBA in my opinion, and the Bulls are fortunate to have him. He's not some trade piece that can get us another star. He IS a star and he may not be what ESPN wants us to believe a star is, but he's a winner, he's a force in the paint, and he's a leader. What more can you ask for from a star?
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I still remember sitting in my recliner. The Bulls had an early tip and I settled in to enjoy the beginning of what looked to be a championship run. The game was chippy. There were shenanigans with Evan Turner running his mouth leading up to the game and I remember Boozer and Evan Turner getting into it and Derrick Rose running up and clapping with intensity and defiance in their face. The Bulls were dominant. Derrick Rose was dominant. I couldn't believe this was the same guy I had saw in person three days prior in Indianapolis. That guy finished with only 10 points and 7 assists. That guy looked passive and like he was trying to play hurt. But this Derrick Rose dropped 23/9/9 for a near triple double on the 76ers. This Derrick Rose had intensity and looked like he wanted another piece of LeBron James and the Miami Heat. This team looked ready to make that leap and they looked like they were a legitimate championship team. But then it all came crashing down. My wife came in mere minutes before. She was pregnant with our fourth child at the time and was at a training that day. She brought me a thoughtful gift - one I wrote about somewhat jokingly as being a cursed figurine - Little Scottie Pippen. I have him in a box downstairs and I don't even look at it anymore. It just reminds me of that one play: I went from being on top of the world and feeling excited to feeling like someone had just dropkicked my dog into the middle of a busy highway. I was just sick. Here was our star, the youngest MVP in NBA history, and the most dynamic player the Bulls had in years if not a decade lying on the ground in obvious agony. I remember all the optimism running through my brain. "He didn't twist his knee. He probably just hyperextended it. I'm sure he'll be back in Game 2, but maybe a little slowed. I doubt it's serious." But realistically, it was obvious this was something more ominous. The United Center went deathly silent. Doug Collins, the opposing coach, was one of the closest near Rose and went to check on him. Everyone was shocked and concerned for this young kid. Not long after Game 1 we learned that it was indeed a torn ACL and Derrick Rose was done for the Playoffs. The ripple effect of this injury remains to this day. NBA history was irrevocably altered. Does LeBron James actually win that first title in 2012 or do the Bulls prevent them making their second Finals? What if Derrick Rose remained "Jordan" to Jimmy Butler's "Pippen?" Do the Bulls then have a potential dynasty in the making? The Bulls took Marquis Teague in the 2012 draft because of the uncertainty of Derrick Rose's recovery. What if Gar/Pax listened to Thibodeau, who allegedly wanted Draymond Green at the time, and didn't have to worry about potentially placing Rose? What if Derrick Rose continued being the All-Star caliber player he was? What if the Bulls were truly in a position to tweak their roster in hopes of putting a contender around Rose instead of denying that their star player was no longer a star? Would the Bulls have evolved with the rest of the NBA in the pace and space era instead of just being frozen in 2012 and hoping that group would eventually bring a championship? Would they be better off now? There are so many unanswered questions. The Rose-era Bulls never reached their true potential after making the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals. Rose has suffered more knee injuries since then. The Bulls moved on and now have Jimmy Butler as their star player, Fred Hoiberg as their coach, and are desperately trying to replicate what they had with Rose. Five years ago and it still feels like yesterday. It feels like we're still waiting for Derrick Rose to return and maybe fans are frozen in time, still bitter about the way all the promise and the potential the early Thibodeau/Rose partnership presented and how it came crumbling down in one single play. We haven't fully turned the page. We still think about these things, defend Rose to the death, and Bulls media still tweets out updates on him like he's still "our guy." We refuse to believe this era ended so abruptly. But it did. Five years ago. The ghost of that injury hovers over the franchise and has hindered the franchise from moving forward because of the cap ramifications of Derrick Rose's contract. Now the Bulls are truly beginning the process of building...something. That ghost will only disappear if the Bulls are able to somehow replicate what we had and somehow atone for that gruesome injury. I've never re-watched that game. I actually haven't even watched the clip of his injury. I just copied and pasted the link. I can't watch it. It's too much. It's too difficult to look back and remember what was before us, but five years ago, the path of the Chicago Bulls changed forever. I'm not fully over it yet. The above image is an iconic one in NBA history: Michael Jordan shoving Bryon Russell into obscurity and draining the game-winning shot for ring number six. How many times have you seen this picture? How many times have you watched the shot? How many times did you practice this exact shot outside your house or on the playground as a kid? For me, it was millions of times. This shot was the storybook ending to Michael Jordan's illustrious career regardless of what he did in Washington. It's one of the greatest shots, if not the greatest shot, in NBA history. What makes this shot even more incredible to me is the story behind the game. If you've never watched Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, it's available on YouTube here.It isn't one of Michael's finest statistical games - he only recorded 1 rebound, 1 assist, and only shot nearly 43% from the field - but to me, it's one of the defining games of his career. The game starts off well with Pippen recording a dunk, but unfortunately, he injured his back and wasn't the same the rest of the game. He played only 26 minutes that night and recorded 8 points. In fact, the Bulls only had two players in double figures that game: Jordan and Toni Kukoc, whom recorded 15 points. The reliable Steve Kerr never even took a shot in 24 minutes of action. The Bulls had all of 11 bench points that game. The balanced Utah Jazz were playing in their deafening arena and this series looked like a lock to go to Game 7. But the greatest player of all-time intervened. This seems like a good time to point out a few things: 1) Michael Jordan was 35 years old at this time and the 2nd three-peat Bulls were running on fumes. 2) Michael Jordan had played most of the season with a torn ligament in his right index finger 3) Again, Scottie Pippen hurt himself the very first play of the game and actually only played 44 games that year due to injuries and anger towards Jerry Krause. How could this Bulls team overcome these odds and win this game, much less this series, without Scottie Pippen? It had to be impossible right? Somebody forgot to tell Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan finished with 45 points that night - 23 in the first half, 22 in the second half. Watch the final 3 minutes of the game. Jordan just simply decided to leave it all on the court. He misses a three, produces an incredible steal, and then tries to create something before Rodman gets called for an offensive foul. You'll see that as a recurring theme throughout the end of this game: Jordan, who had 16 points in the fourth quarter, keeps trying to create something, but it just seems like the tank is empty. To make things worse, he bangs his knee on John Stockton, who tried to draw a charge, and limped out of the timeout. The Bulls dynasty looked over. Then he steps up and drains both free-throws. The final 59.2 seconds are a thing of beauty. Stockton nails a three to put the Jazz up 86-83 and it looks like Game 7 is merely a formality. 41.9 seconds left and Jordan takes the inbounds pass, drives past Bryon Russell and hits a difficult layup in the paint. The Bulls are down only 1 with 34 seconds remaining. And here comes a familiar sequence. One in which Phil Jackson told Michael Jordan simply, "Beautiful." It's one of the finest sequences in basketball history and if you could put Michael Jordan's career into one sequence, this is it: Defensive excellence, offensive brilliance, and pure will. Watch as Malone posts up, Jordan cheats off, and then punches the ball right out of his hands and just takes the ball as Karl Malone crumbles to the ground. 19 seconds left and Jordan drives up the court and everyone in the arena knew what was coming. Everyone was standing. Jordan drives, gives Russell a gentle shove that you could see on the subsequent replays, but would be difficult to see from Dick Bavetta's point of view, and hits the wide open shot holding his form in the iconic photo shown above. Ultimately, it was the game winning shot and sealed championship number six for the Chicago Bulls. Jordan finished with 45 points. The next closest Bull was Kukoc with 15. Pippen and Harper finished with 8 and then Rodman with 7. Jordan literally dragged this aging Chicago Bulls team, a team on fumes, to championship number six. It is one of the finest performances of Michael Jordan's storied career and one that often only gets remembered for the final shot. But the game in it's entirety should be considered iconic. It was the personification of Michael Jordan's legacy: Excellence, a competitiveness that set him apart from any of his peers and still does today, and that left him standing above the competition. The more I watch of Michael Jordan and the more I notice the nuances that made him unique, the more I'm certain we will never see another player like Michael Jordan. He was truly one of a kind. Game 6 of the NBA Finals boxscore Revisiting Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: Who's the GOAT?I know, I know. This argument has been beaten to death. I've written about it twice myself: First, back in 2011 after LeBron melted down against the Mavericks, again in 2012 after LeBron won his first championship, again after LeBron said there was a ghost in Chicago he was chasing, and then after the 2016 Finals, in which LeBron's last three games cemented his legacy as at least a top 10 player of all-time. But factors such as LeBron's longevity, a growing generation of basketball fans that never experienced watching Michael Jordan play or never experienced watching him play for the Bulls, the YouTube generation and countless talking heads coronating LeBron James as the king of the NBA all-time makes this argument worth revisiting. First, let's just concede this: LeBron James has been incredible this season. Personally, I think he's the MVP of the league. I know the narrative points towards James Harden, but have you seen the cast of characters LeBron just led to 50 wins? His statistics are fantastic: 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 54% FG shooting, and...this is year 15, which is unheard of. LeBron's season is the highest PER of all-time for players in their 15th season or later and that played at least 300 minutes. It's been unbelievable. Some use this as evidence: Jordan in his 15th season (with the Wizards) was nowhere near this statistical level averaging 20 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and shooting a low-for-him 44% from the field. Four things to remember:
Now, what if you took Jordan and increased his 1997-1998 stats by 9.2%? Here's the comparison:
Also, Jordan never relented on defense. During Jordan's career, he was named All-Defensive team nine times (first team every time) including 1997-1998 and won Defensive Player of the Year in 1987-1988. In comparison, LeBron James has made All-Defensive team six times (five times first team, once on the second team) and hasn't been on there since he played in Miami in 2013-2014. As Jordan declined, he still brought it on defense and this is an area where you can clearly watch LeBron James today and see he's declined on it. For the record, I've always stated that LeBron is not a great on-ball defender (talking heads wanted to compare him to Scottie Pippen, which is an insult. LeBron was never that level), but LeBron was a great off-ball defender and the greatest play of his career, the block on Andre Iguodala, perhaps captures that. Likewise, Jordan's poetic ending before he valiantly returned to boost the country's morale after 9/11 started with a steal on Karl Malone and then a beautiful jumper to seal a final championship. To the point of Jordan never relenting on defense, even as he aged, it should be noted that in 1997-1998, he averaged 38.8 minutes per game and played all 82 games for the 9th time in his career (3,181 minutes that season total). This year, LeBron averaged 36.9 minutes per game (which led the NBA) and played all 82 games for the first time his career (3,026 minutes total for this season). It's just remarkable the level of intensity Michael Jordan could bring on both ends of the floor at age 34 and carrying the burden that he did. None of this is to discredit LeBron James. I'm on record as saying he's the third best player of all-time with a clear path to surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (longevity will ensure it statistically). But Michael Jordan is still the greatest of all-time. He always will be. But the biggest takeaway you should get from this is stop trying to compare LeBron to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or anyone else. Enjoy the experience of watching one of the greatest players ever to play the game. There's going to be a generation one day that won't have this experience, just like the generation that never saw Michael Jordan play. Enjoy what LeBron has been able to do and stop forgetting how great Jordan was. |
AuthorBrandon Pence is the founder & author of "The Bulls Charge." Pence has been a Bulls fan since 1993 following the shot by John Paxson, believes Michael Jordan is undeniably the GOAT, and has Derrick Rose as his all-time favorite Bull following Scottie Pippen's weird feud with Michael Jordan. "The Bulls Charge" was established in 2011. Archives
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