The Memphis Grizzlies haven’t had many wins recently but the recent play of Joakim Noah has been outstanding. He is playing at a high level as he shows he can still be a really good player in this league.
Some question the Memphis Grizzlies decision to sign Joakim Noah when it happened but he has made a huge impact since joining the team. It hasn’t led to a lot of team success but Noah has taken advantage of this opportunity and he already is beloved by Grizzlies’ fans.
Noah has had a variety of different roles since arriving in Memphis and he has thrived in each of them. At times he has been asked to play just a few minutes a game as the backup center but now recently we have seen him with a much larger role.
When he started he was primarily used to get Marc Gasol extra rest but then they started to realize he was capable of much more. The Grizzlies haven’t been afraid to play two centers at the same time despite so much of the league going small. They didn’t do it often but they were putting the players on the floor together who were contributing the most and that has often been Noah.
In his first 32 games with the team, he is averaging 6.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game which is must better than he played in his time with the New York Knicks. While over the past few weeks he has been playing possibly his best basketball since he was an all-star with the Chicago Bulls.
In the three games after the all-star break, he has been a force to be reckoned with. During those three games, he is averaging 17.3 points, 10 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. He is putting up those numbers in 25.4 minutes per game without starting in any of them.
He had a 22 point, 11 rebound performance in a loss against the Los Angeles Clippers but his best performance was likely in the win over the New Orleans Pelicans on February 9th. In that game, he finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.
Joakim Noah posted 19 points and 14 rebounds off the bench tonight:
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) February 10, 2019
• His 1st 19/14 game (as a starter or reserve) since Feb. 23, 2014.
• 3rd @memgrizz reserve to ever post at least 19/14 in a game (Zach Randolph in 2016, Mike Miller in 2006).
Being put in a group that includes Mike Miller and Zach Randolph is a good group to be a part of. Being able to make a huge difference off the bench like that is phenomenal. He often produces much more than his stats show so it’s good to see him able to put up big numbers every once in a while.
In this game, he made 8-14 shots while also pitching in with three assists. His passing ability on the offensive end is something the Grizzlies were so used to with Gasol and Noah has been able to be used in a somewhat similar way in his time with the team.
He has continued to play with passion each and every game. There have been so many clips of him pumping up his teammates and showing that passion in a variety of ways.
He is back loving the game like he did when he was in Chicago. When he was in New York it didn’t work out for a variety of reasons but we’re all glad to have him in Memphis now. He says he was “too lit” to be in a city such as New York.
Coming to a city like Memphis which doesn’t have near the media attention as New York has been very good for him. He was signed to the huge 4 years,$72 million deal in the summer of 2016. That was a crazy free agency as we saw so many unworthy players receive large contracts.
The Grizzlies were in on the summer as well as they re-signed Mike Conley to his five-year max deal but they also signed Chandler Parsons to his 4 years, $94 million deal which is even worse value than the Knicks got from Noah. A lot of franchises got set back that summer and some, including the Grizzlies, still haven’t recovered.
Noah played in just 53 games over the course of two seasons with the Knicks. He has been healthy for the most part in Memphis though as he has already played in 32 games this season.