Joakim Noah should be getting a steady 15-20 minutes per game, in my opinion. Joe Smith should get roughly the same, and Tyrus Thomas should be the Bulls' new garbage time hero (and should be shopped). Thomas does not fit in Chicago whatsoever. He's a 4 in a 3's body, can't shoot the ball, and he is a punk. Noah would give the Bulls exactly what they need - energy and passion - every second he's on the floor. Is he an offensive liability? Sure, but he brings all the intangibles to the table. Thomas is an offensive liability in his own right, and doesn't play with even half the energy Joakim does. This is how I'd distribute the Bulls' big man rotation (roughly): C: Wallace (30) / Noah (10) / Gray (8) PF: Smith (22) / <span style="color:#FF0000">*</span>Nocioni (15) / Noah (8) / Thomas (3) <span style="color:#FF0000">*</span>Obviously Noc would get time at the 3 as well, so don't think that I'm suggesting he only plays 15 minutes per game. You're thoughts on Joakim and the rotation?
I've been a strong believer in Noah for all the reasons you state. He starts with a very good basketball IQ if not all the skills, but he can rebound, block shots, play defense, and handle the ball. Handling the ball on offense is one of his strengths, IMO, as he'll end up getting a lot of assists or otherwise making passes that end up in scores. He won't turn it over much, either. Tho I'd be quite the opposite on Smith. If he could handle 36 minutes/game, I'd play him that - or all he can handle.
We need his energy. Noah could use a bit more time, but really needs to develop his shot. I can see he is trying to become a shooter a little bit, so I'd give Noah more time out there because Wallace ain't doing it for us like we wanted him to.
