After suddenly fading into NBA obscurity, former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah found redemption in Memphis this season. One of the NBA’s most noted pairs of eyes took notice.
Joakim Noah‘s NBA career found new life this season once he joined the Memphis Grizzlies. Brushed aside by the New York Knicks after burying their rebuild in terrible contracts — Noah’s included — the two-time NBA All-Star was a man without a home.
As they have done for so many NBA cast-offs, the Grizzlies extended Joakim Noah an olive branch in hopes of resurrecting his career. He made the most of his opportunity as an effective and energizing presence; and on Monday, he was named the captain of Zach Lowe’s “Luke Walton All-Stars.”
The annual roster, composed by ESPN’s Senior NBA Writer, honors players on the NBA’s outskirts, who have made an impact despite very capped roles.
Such a title might seem paltry for a former All-NBA First-Teamer and Defensive Player of the Year. But Joakim Noah’s career arc had cratered so viciously since then, that the Luke Walton All-Stars are his zenith at present.
Noah was burdened and often criticized as a bad contract during his time in New York; an honest assessment but no fault of his. He dealt with a rash of injuries following the 2014 season; one in which he finished fourth in MVP voting.
"“I lost my confidence on the court in a real public way. You don’t know if you are going to get that back” – Joakim Noah, per Zach Lowe"
His appearances and effectiveness both sharply declined over the following seasons in Chicago; much of his trademark explosive motor had been sapped. Then Joakim Noah’s free-agency hit during the immortal summer of 2016. The Knicks were dumb enough to give him $72 million, despite apparently not having watched him play basketball in two years.
Noah remained a shell of his former self; one of many banes of the Knicks’ existence. As the Phil Jackson regime fell flat and New York’s youth movement began, cutting ties seemed mutually beneficial.
The disappointment took its toll on Noah, who had fallen from revered star to jobless in less than four years. As he told Lowe; “I lost my confidence on the court in a real public way. You don’t know if you are going to get that back.”
Get it back he did. His numbers with the Memphis Grizzlies — 7.1/5.7/2.1 on .516 eFG% – do not fly off the page, but Noah’s impact on both the court and locker room were unquestionable. His 18.6 PER was by far his highest since 2014, placing him just behind Steven Adams, Jarrett Allen, and likely-MIP Pascal Siakam. Noah also ranked 24th-league wide in Real Plus-Minus.
He was a stabilizing force for a young team in transition; a veteran who built a career on playing his tail off, and was now fighting for his NBA life. He set the tone for Memphis’ broken roster, and made impact plays that maximized his teammates. It was a beautiful renaissance.
Noah’s long-term fate remains to be seen. While the Memphis Grizzlies could potentially use a backup center next season, Noah is certain to receive more suitors this summer. As if we should ever have doubted a player with his hustle, he revitalized a flat-lined career.
In Lowe, one of the NBA’s most respected analysts took note of Noah’s efforts this season, despite being on small-market, lottery-bound team. You can bet a few rival GMs did as well.