The Portland Trail Blazers may be wise to pursue a proven NBA veteran in Joakim Noah to help a banged up frontcourt rotation on life support.
Who would have thought we’d be here having this discussion after just six games being played in the Portland Trail Blazers 2019-20 campaign? Instead of rooting on as Zach Collins puts together a case for the Most Improved Player Award, we’re hashing out the trending debate between Joakim Noah and Kenneth Faried.
Even if it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, this is our reality and a discussion worth having regardless. So who is the better option as an emergency addition?
After a strong rebound year following a temporary vacation from the world of basketball, Noah came surging back and played very well in his time with the Grizzlies. Although Memphis opted to part ways to collect assets and focus on developing young talent, Noah still managed to put together a strong case for any potential suitors.
Despite all that, he hasn’t had any luck finding a new home thus far. So what does make Noah a better fit for the Trail Blazers than Faried?
1. Playmaking ability
Let’s make one thing clear. The Portland Trail Blazers’ biggest current weakness is their perimeter defense. But no free agent is going to single-handedly patch that up. But their next biggest weakness (playmaking), may find its cure in the form if Joakim Noah. Currently, the Blazers only have two dynamic playmakers in Damian Lillard and Mario Hezonja. Portland ranks dead last in the NBA in team assists per game.
In just 16.5 minutes per game last season, Noah dished out 2.1 assists as a playmaking five that is a rare but growing asset in the NBA. He assisted on 20.6 percent of all his teammate’s baskets whenever he was on the court. Extrapolated across a whole season, that mark would have the 52nd best in the league, and fifth among centers. Having Joakim come off the bench would give the Blazers another player to run the offense through and ideally create more off-ball shot opportunities for Portland’s star guards.
2. Stout defensive presence
Noah may no longer be the same player that won the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year Award, but those intangible skills and defensive IQ still lay there underneath the surface. Last year, Joakim posted an impressive 3.5 DBPM and had a noticeable impact on the defense. Let’s compare the two players’ defensive statistics (per 100 possessions) from last season.
Noah: 2.2 BLK, 1.4 STL, 3.5 DBPM, 105 DRtg
Faried: 1.5 BLK, 1.1 STL, -1.0 DBPM, 109 DRtg
After a long hiatus, Noah clearly managed to recover his presence as a defensive anchor and only improved as time went on. Faried on the other hand, likely overachieved in limited time and still showed holes in his defensive game that simply don’t pose a problem for a player like Noah. Considering Noah is three inches taller and has at least 10 pounds of a weight advantage, this should come as no surprise.
3. Well-rounded overall game
The NBA is full of niche role players. Guys that excel at just one or two things like shooting, rebounding, or playing tough iso defense can hang around for a while if they’re elite at one thing. The thing is, there are no players elite at one single thing remaining on the market. We’re looking at an island of misfit toys here, those past their heydays or struggling to earn their place back in the league after significant injuries that sidetracked their careers. In this bargain bin free agency market, the Trail Blazers need to pursue the most well-rounded player available. And that player is Joakim Noah.
When looking at per 100 possessions statistics (to standardize these smaller sample sizes), Noah beats Faried in total rebounds, assists, blocks and steals, as well as important advanced analytics such as Box Plus/Minus, Value over Replacement Player, and Estimated Wins Added.
Faried is in fact the better scorer, but Portland already has an abundance of shot creators on the roster. What the Blazers need is another net positive post presence that isn’t named Hassan Whiteside. When Hassan isn’t on the court, the Trail Blazers are going to be brutalized in the paint (ex. Saturday’s game against the 76ers). They don’t need another player eating into shot opportunities. They need someone who can play tough defense, grab contested boards, set hard picks and create better shot opportunities. It just so happens Joakim Noah does those things quite well, even better than Kenneth Faried.
Regardless of the outcome, both of these players deserve to be on an NBA roster. They’ve clearly demonstrated they can still be contributors on a competitive team. Despite previous grievances with their former teams, both of these have enjoyed long careers thanks in no small part to their passion for the game and their professionalism off the court. Both Noah and Faried are previous winners of the prestigious J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the same award Lillard won just last year.
While the debate between these two players will only pick up in the coming days, at least we can take comfort in debating between two respectable options instead of being forced to dig through the dumpster for scraps.