Chicago Bulls’ center, Joakim Noah, will miss the remainder of the 2015-2016 season after going down with a shoulder injury on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks. Noah was the back-up center for the Bulls. He averaged 4.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks for the Bulls in 21.9 minutes per game this season. Noah had appeared in 29 games this season, and had started two contests.
Noah’s injury has left a hole in the Bulls bench that needs to be filled. Here are some of the players who will absorb Noah’s minutes.
Bobby Portis
After somehow falling to the Chicago Bulls at pick number 22 in the 2015 NBA Draft, Portis has not been able to consistently crack Fred Hoidberg’s rotation. The 20-year old has only appeared in 19 of the Bull’s 39 games this season. Behind Noah and Taj Gibson, the opportunities for Portis to play have been limited, but when he has had the chance to play, he has produced. In 14.6 minutes per game, Portis is averaging 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds. Those numbers translate to 16.4 points and 7.5 rebonds per 36 minutes. He has also been an effective shooter, knocking down 47.5% of his shots from the field and 37.5% from behind the arc. Portis should absorb the majority of Noah’s minutes, as he is the Bulls safest option to do so.
Cameron Bairstow
The 2nd-year player from Brisbane, Austrailia, Cameron Bairstow has not been able to establish himself in the NBA. He has only appeared in 8 games this season and averages 3.8 minutes per game. His averages are not even worth mentioning because of the small sample size. Now, without Noah, Bairstow will likely receive more playing time. Bairstow possess’ a soft touch around the rim, and he could be a nice scoring/rebounding option for the Bulls. It is not clear if Bairstow can be an efficient player in the NBA, but he has shown effectiveness in the NBA D-League. He has played in 5 contests in the NBA’s minor league. In those games he has averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
Cristiano Felicio
Fighting with Cameron Bairstow for meaningful minutes will be Cristiano Felicio. The 6’10, 275 pound behemoth has only appeared in two games this season. Felicio was recalled from the NBA D-League on Saturday. Felicio is a rookie. Bairstow and Felicio will battle for the minutes as the 5th big man in the rotation. Because of Felicio’s inexperience, do not expect him to see much time with Portis and Bairstow both healthy.
Not that an injury is ever a good occurrence in sports, but the Bulls might be a better team without Jokiam Noah. Noah is 30 years old, and does not appear to be part of this team’s future. With Portis and Bairstow, the Bulls can fill the hole Noah left quite easily. Portis especially can now continue to develop while establishing himself in the NBA. Receiving meaningful minutes night in and night out will certainly help Portis grow. While the end of Joakim Noah as a Bull may be near, the Bulls have numerous players that can replace him and help the Bulls win and compete to the best of their abilities.
