The New York Knicks have a Joakim Noah problem.
New York perplexed the basketball world when news broke the team signed center Joakim Noah to a four-year, $72 million deal. The dollar amount was hard to take in, even with the insane contracts given out. Knicks prez Phil Jackson envisioned the 31-year-old as a versatile big man, capable of locking down the paint, making good passes and providing a little bit of offense. Of course, that was a mirage. Instead, Noah was actually a broken piece – dealing with multiple injuries including shoulder problems which sidelined him for months in 2015-16. Averaging a career-worst 4.3 points on 38 percent shooting, Noah was an easy pick for the offseason’s worst contract. Through nearly a quarter of the season, he’s lived up to that moniker.
In 16 games, Noah has averaged a career-worst 3.9 points, along with 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Instead of thriving in late game situations, Noah has seen the bench in key moments for the Knicks. Instead, Kyle O’Quinn, a holdover from last season’s team who’s making four-times less per season, has been New York’s best center. Noah, meanwhile, has done stuff like this.
https://twitter.com/wcboyer24/status/793891425414971392
https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/804140815031353353
The most surprising struggles from Noah is his poor free-throw shooting. Noah’s always been a solid shooter from the stripe, averaging a 70 percent success rate from the line. In 2016-17, he’s shooting 24 percent. That means he’s making just over two free throws for every ten attempts. He makes DeAndre Jordan look like Steve Nash.
Joakim Noah's free-throw shooting through the years. He's at 24.0 percent this season. pic.twitter.com/PPVFL9hJ0L
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) December 5, 2016
Each time Noah takes the floor, it’s a sunken cost. With O’Quinn, Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez all capable of starting at center, who are currently better players at a combined salary less than the former Chicago Bull, the longer the season plays out, the worse the deal is going to look. Noah’s broken and can’t be prepared. With better options on the bench, it’s not a question of if he’ll lose his starting job, but when. There’s no reason to believe his play will get better. The deal is already among the worst in the NBA. In two years, it’s going to prevent the Knicks from making key deals. Phil Jackson got his man, but Noah has provided no return on the huge deal.
