Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah may have started in his first game this season in their 111-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Monday but chose to rest because of left knee soreness.
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Noah has not started in any game this season and is coming off the bench for Bulls big men Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotić.
Mirotic will likely be the starter against Charlotte due to the small lineup and the fact that Mirotic had a good game against the 76ers and the fact that the Bulls are looking for more offense this year.
Hoiberg consistently has said he will make lineup changes if needed, as he already has with Doug McDermott replacing Tony Snell. I think both guys have done very well with those new roles.
“He’s getting closer to getting back out on the floor”, Hoiberg said Wednesday. Knee surgery basically ruined his 2014-15 season; his old head coach Tom Thibodeau was dismissed by the Chicago Bulls, and now those knee issues have resurfaced in the 2015-16 campaign. “I wanted to play tonight really bad”, Noah said, according to ESPN.
“The other day against Philly was the first time that he’s had any real pain where he has come to us, come to the trainers and talked about it. So hopefully it’s a one-time deal, it’s over with”.
Hoiberg told reporters that Noah will “hopefully” be ready to play against the Hornets, but he refused to confirm whether he would be on the bench. Mirotic totaled 11 points and 12 rebounds in the three previous games before breaking out.
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“Well, I’ll say this: It was great to see Niko go out and play with that kind of confidence”, Hoiberg said.
