With the Memphis Grizzlies losing on Friday but winning on Saturday, there is one thing to take note of when looking back on these games: Joakim Noah.
In a recent postgame interview with Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff, he was asked about one of the two former Defensive Player of the Year award winners on the roster. Not Marc Gasol, but rather Joakim Noah.
When asked about Noah’s persona on and off the court, Coach Bickerstaff simply replied with “He’s f**** crazy.”
Now some may have taken offense to this statement, but it is the recent energy out of Joakim Noah that has fueled this struggling Memphis team, especially at home.
Noah has been more comfortable on the court in this long home stand at FedEx Forum, which followed a three-game absence by the reserve center for “personal reasons.”
Where Joakim would wait for an open shot or pass the ball, he is now driving to the basket and taking some ownership on offense. His hard-fought battles under the rim and on-court IQ is proving to make an impact in the game score.
In addition to this, the home crowd loves his energy. With gloomy NBA trade rumors and a the most recent eight-game losing streak, the fans of the Memphis Grizzlies have not been in the games, but rather just at the games.
That all has changed over the past few days, though. Since Joakim Noah’s return to the team just prior to Friday’s meeting versus the Sacramento Kings, there has been a noticeable difference in his presence on the court. Time away did some good to his game.
Joakim is pumping up the crowd and directly engaging those in the seats. He has been bringing a Tony Allen-esque demeanor to Beale Street.
This newfound confidence and excitement in Noah’s game has fueled the home crowd. Alternatively, this has fueled this struggling Memphis Grizzlies team, which led them to a big win over the No. 3 team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference on Saturday night.
If the crowd is in the game, the Grizzlies respond. The fans were the difference-maker on Saturday, but Joakim ignited those flames. If Noah can excite Memphis on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets — currently the Western Conference‘s second-best team — another upset is surely possible.