A ‘Bouncier’ Joakim Noah Looks Forward To A Bounce-Back Year

It was almost painful watching Joakim Noah play basketball last year. In place of the springy, frenetic center was one obviously labored by pain. He was never himself, despite so obviously trying to be.

Over the summer, Noah worked to get back to the player he used to be, working tirelessly at P3 performance training center in Santa Barbara. As he tells ESPN’s Nick Friedell, that work has led to a revitalized Noah.

“I just feel bouncier, just lighter on my feet,” he said. “Just waking up in the morning and moving good, that’s a good feeling. Doing a lot of yoga every morning before I come in. Just taking care of myself a little different. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

Now, it’s a preseason ritual for players to claim this is the best they’ve felt in some variation or another, but if Noah is indeed back to his form from two years ago, that’s great news for the Bulls and basketball fans overall. The game is just more fun to watch when Noah is on the court, screaming and hustling and whirling everywhere.

It’s also good, perhaps even better news, for Noah himself. He’s in a contract year, and with the massive salary cap escalation next summer, he could be in a for a huge payday if he truly is healthy. If not, teams are going to be reluctant to give a huge contract to a 31-year-old center clearly in the midst of decline.

(ESPN)

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