<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The Florida Gators weren't the only ones who were overjoyed when Joakim Noah chose campus life over millions of NBA dollars. Just as happy were LSU star Tyrus Thomas and his San Diego-based agents, Brian Elfus and Michael Siegel. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the three of them sneaked away from the NBA pre-draft camp at Disney's World Wide of Sports this week to load up on Gator apparel. It's the least they can do since Noah's absence from the draft has created quite an opportunity for Thomas, whose stock exploded during the NCAA Tournament. With Noah not in the draft, Thomas could be the No.1 overall pick. "There was only one player everybody thought might be the consensus No. 1 pick and that was Joakim Noah," Elfus said. If you don't believe Noah was the surefire No. 1, then you must think there are a lot of players who can win the SEC tournament title, the national championship and Final Four Most Outstanding Player all in the same season. Now that Noah isn't available, there is no clear-cut No. 1 choice, making the top pick the most risky of them all. There isn't a Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard or Allen Iverson out there -- or one player with "No. 1" practically blinking on his forehead. You look at Thomas or even Italian Andrea Bargnani -- another European mystery that NBA general managers covet -- and wonder if Noah was sitting a little too close to the Elmer's glue when he decided to stick around at UF another season. Noah thought he wasn't ready for the NBA, but if he surveys this field of possible No. 1s, he'll find he was the most ready. A shot-blocking menace, Thomas is a defensive dynamo and athletic freak. And sure, even if Noah were in the draft, some might still argue about who is better. I'm somewhat leery of any player whose best attribute is his leaping ability. Mostly because he's going to a league where leaping comes as naturally as breathing. He's talented but raw. Bargnani screams project. Adam Morrison, the Gonzaga star, will draw concerns because of his diabetes and lack of quickness. Staying in school was Noah's choice to make, of course. But if some of these guys go on to only make a minimal impact with a NBA team, how could Noah not cringe thinking he could have been better? This field of players trying to be No. 1 might be weak, but they at least understand that no NBA team is going to love them as much as they are loved right now. I'm not so sure Noah understood that. "Like I said, when you're hot, you're hot," Thomas said. "Tomorrow is not promised. I can blow out a knee. It's like giving somebody a lottery ticket that's worth $15 million. It might eventually be worth $40 million, but you've got to take what's given to you and what's also guaranteed." Can't fault that logic. Ironically, Thomas talked to Noah after the Final Four on Internet instant messenger and by telephone just to get his perspective on going to the NBA.</div> Source
Will someone please tell me how joakim is a consensus number 1. I say him play live versus georgetown and Nova. He played great but i just dont see him asa great nba player. If some of you do i would like to hear why. Thanks
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">Will someone please tell me how joakim is a consensus number 1. I say him play live versus georgetown and Nova. He played great but i just dont see him asa great nba player. If some of you do i would like to hear why. Thanks</div> I partially agree/disagree with you. I don't see Joakim Noah being a great NBA player, just like you. I do think he would be a quality NBA player though. He is just such an intriguing prospect. How many 7 footers(or 6'11-he says he's 7 foot though) can handle the ball like he does? How many 7 footers can break presses like he can? How many 7 footers can run the floor that he can. He also has a knack for blocking shots in man to man defense, not on help defense, but straight up man to man. You can't double team him because he would find the open man, since he's such a great decision maker. He is also a very good FT shooter for his size(I believe he shot like 77%) despite his odd shooting approach. Whereever he ends up going he will be a fan favorite because of his hustle and enthusiasm of the game. He genuinely loves the game of basketball and it shows. Most everyone loves watching Vareajeo because of his energy and passion for the game, Noah will be the same way. Also remember he's only played PF/C for like 3 years, the Gators started recruiting him as a PG, so he's still raw. He went from getting 2 mins in last years tournament to being the MVP of the entire tournament. Just imagine how much more improvement this kid can make. Basically he is extremely raw and will need a lot of work, but if the team can get him to pan out, he could be an extremely good player with his skills. If I was a GM, I would probably draft him around 3rd or 4th. I would draft Bargiani and Aldridge in front of him. Also potentially Morrison/Gay-depending on needs. Supposedly the Bulls promised him they would pick him with their pick though since he fits the up and down system. I would pick Noah over Thomas though. Noah is just much better with the ball and gets most of his blocks in man to man defense, while Thomas gets his on help defense. To tell you the truth, I believe he is the 3rd best NBA prospect on the Gators behind Al Horford and Corey Brewer. One guy that doesn't get any hype is Al Horford. He does everything that Noah does and most of them he does better. He is only 6'9(on a good day), but he can run the floor, he can pass, he can break a press just like Noah. He is a better rebounder and a better defender. There is a reason why we put Horford on the better offensive guy. At the end of the year he started shooting a midrange jumper and was very effective. He's also got a more NBA body and will be able to add strength(not sure if Noah's frame will allow him to add more weight). He's not as passionate about the game as Noah though and sometimes it looks like he just isn't aggressive. He has such a high ceiling that it's so discouraging when you look at him and it looks like he isn't giving 110%(It's not often that he is like that-maybe 1 out of every 5 games or so). He does show passion when he plays though, for example after the Vandy game it was a tough game, I think he put up something like 16 and 16 and he was bleeding everywhere, someone asked him about it and he's like "It's Vandy blood, I like Vandy blood"(or something like that). The other guy that I like better than Noah is Brewer. If Brewer can develop a handle he will be completely unstoppable and he has the potential to be a perennial NBA all-star, IMO. He already has shutdown defense(just ask Affalo). He has had a couple of Tayshaun blocks(his block on Reggie Miller) where he comes out of nowhere to block it. He has a very underrated 3 pt shot and he finally found his stroke at the end of the year. Before last year he was the returning 3 pt % leader(ahead of Humphrey). He's deadly on the curl. He has such a quick 1st step that he is deadly and can get to the lane at will(as long as he hangs on to the ball). His weakness is sometimes he just makes completely boneheaded plays(look at the 2 Tennessee games) and his handle. As long as he stays healthy then he is going to be the Gators leader next year. He fills up the entire stat sheet and has an all around game. He had UF's first ever triple double last year. Most people would say that he needs to bulk up, but his speed is so deadly right now that he doesn't need to bulk up, IMO. Think of a taller/quicker Josh Howard. He has the best potential out of all 3 of them to dictate and dominate a game(he was doing it to Tennessee in the 1st game before he got injured 10 mins into the game)
^^ yeah man brewer and horford were sooooooo fun to watch. Brewer had this dunk where even though i was rooting against florida (sorry) i jumped out of my seat and screamed. Horford is also much more polished on the offensive end than noah. Noah is ssssssllllllloooooowwwww. Everyone keeps raving about a 7 footer that can do all these things, but his form is dreadful. He is good at free throws but for some reason he cant shoot mid ranged shots very well. Also he is a good passer and excellent one on one defender. But his ball handling skills arent that great. i cant even imagine who slated him as a pg. Like 5-6 times per game that i saw him against georgetown and villanova he tried to penetrate on a guy but couldnt, not even once. He had hibbert and a bunch of other guys from nova guarding him and not once could he break them down. He kept like trying to do this "sweet" crossover but it was really really slow. I see him as a slightly better offensively but worse defensively ben wallace type. This kid is also a great rebounder
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">^^ yeah man brewer and horford were sooooooo fun to watch. Brewer had this dunk where even though i was rooting against florida (sorry) i jumped out of my seat and screamed. Horford is also much more polished on the offensive end than noah. Noah is ssssssllllllloooooowwwww. Everyone keeps raving about a 7 footer that can do all these things, but his form is dreadful. He is good at free throws but for some reason he cant shoot mid ranged shots very well. Also he is a good passer and excellent one on one defender. But his ball handling skills arent that great. i cant even imagine who slated him as a pg. Like 5-6 times per game that i saw him against georgetown and villanova he tried to penetrate on a guy but couldnt, not even once. He had hibbert and a bunch of other guys from nova guarding him and not once could he break them down. He kept like trying to do this "sweet" crossover but it was really really slow. I see him as a slightly better offensively but worse defensively ben wallace type. This kid is also a great rebounder</div> Dude we must be watching a different Joakim Noah if you think he's slow. He didn't just beat the big down the court many times he would beat the guards down the court. How many times did you see him play? I watched every game(except 1-during christmas break/no TV). Noah can pretty much get to the lane whenever he wants. If he can't get to the lane, he will do a hook shot or he will make a good decision with the ball and kick it to Humphrey/Green/Brewer outside or to Horford/Richard downlow. Saying that he doesn't shoot jump shots well is wrong. He just doesn't shoot outside enough to really judge his jump shot. Why should he shoot the jump shot when he could get to the lane and get a higher percentage shot? There is a reason that he shot 62.3% from the floor. If you don't think his ball handling is good, you must not have watched the Villanova game. He constantly was the guy that broke the press. On the in bounds we would lob it up to him(no guard can catch it over him) and then he would push it. What other 7 footer can dribble the ball like Noah other than Dirk/KG? It's amazing what him and Horford can do after getting a rebound. It's so tough to guard the Gators because of the unselfish play of all 5 guysand if you miss you better get back on defense because whoever gets the rebound will start the break(only exception is Richard-everyone else can start it). Noah isn't anywhere close to the rebounder/defender of a Ben Wallace. Ben Wallace is a horrible comparison to Noah. I honestly don't know anyone in the NBA that brings what he does to the table close enough to compare him to. KG would be the closest, but Noah isn't anywhere and likely will never be anywhere close to KG's level. I think if Noah somehow gets drafted by the Suns or Bulls then he will be a very good pro. I'm not too sure on the other teams though. Suns and Bulls love pushing it and Noah loves running the break. Noah was like 6'2 his freshman and sophmore years of HS and he was a PG(I heard that, but I haven't really seen anything stating that). Honestly the two descriptions of Noah used most(other than goofy and loud) are fast and he's a good ball handler.
idk know man, he just looks really slow to me. And again he kept trying to drive on people in teh two games i saw (which i mentioned above) and he continually got stopped. The slow thing i mean quickness wise, he can run the floor amazingly, but he doesnt have a good first step, that i've seen anyway. And he played amazing defense and rebounded like a maniac in those two games. Thats why i think he might become a ben wallace TYPE player with a more polished post game obviously. Phoenix would be perfect for him imo as well
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">idk know man, he just looks really slow to me. And again he kept trying to drive on people in teh two games i saw (which i mentioned above) and he continually got stopped. The slow thing i mean quickness wise, he can run the floor amazingly, but he doesnt have a good first step, that i've seen anyway. And he played amazing defense and rebounded like a maniac in those two games. Thats why i think he might become a ben wallace TYPE player with a more polished post game obviously. Phoenix would be perfect for him imo as well</div> 10-21(which is below his average, but still really good) and averaging 18 ppg in those 2 games doesn't seem like he was having trouble getting around guys. We know most of the shots were him getting to the lane, because he rarely ever settles on the jump shot. You can't really judge a player on 2 games though. Trust me on my analysis of Noah, I watched his minimal playing time last year and his emergence this year. Noah had the ability to get to the rim at will and is an amazing ball handler/decision maker for his size. Most bigs if they try running the break they are completely out of control, not Noah or Horford, they are always in control and 9 times out of 10 they make the right decision with the ball. You just can't teach that, which is why Horford/Noah are so intriguing. Noah is quick. I haven't really seen anyone that has succeeded in containing Noah yet. Well Noah really isn't that good of a rebounder, Horford is the beast on the glass. Noah sometimes starts running the break before the rebound. He was playing Nova who couldn't box out Noah or Horford, so that game probably isn't one that you would want to use to compare his rebounding skills. Well my predictions (which you really can't do this early) is Brewer will be a top 10 pick, Horford will be late lottery and Noah will be 15-20.
I'm not a big fan of Noah. He is a lesser Kerilinko in every catorgory. He won't be to much of an NBA player, but he will still be either a solid starter or a guy in the rotation. His post up moves need some work though.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TmacGarnett:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not a big fan of Noah. He is a lesser Kerilinko in every catorgory. He won't be to much of an NBA player, but he will still be either a solid starter or a guy in the rotation. His post up moves need some work though.</div> If you are comparing him to Kirilenko(even if it's a lesser Kirilenko), I would say that Noah could be very good. Kirilenko is one of the best players in the league, IMO. I would probably put him in my top 10-15, he definetely doesn't get the respect that he deserves. btw isn't Kirilenko a SF? Noah will not be a SF in the NBA. He has the ability to be a Kirilenko type player though that fills up a stat sheet and always gives 110% effort, he's just extremely raw right now and has a lot to work on. I guarantee you though whatever team he goes to, everyone will love him just for his energy, enthusiasm and effort.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TmacGarnett:</div><div class="quote_post">He is a lesser Kerilinko in every catorgory. He won't be to much of an NBA player, but he will still be either a solid starter or a guy in the rotation. His post up moves need some work though.</div> K-I-R-I-L-E-N-K-O.......and no way in hell is he even close to what AK-47 is right now. Kirilenko is a unique player and I don't think you'll see another even close to what Andrei can for some on years. He's a rare freak of nature, so it's rare to find another one. Noah is too big and can't move like Andrei IMO. I do like Noah intensity and I think he'd fit good in a system like Utah, San Antonio, or Detroit, where's it's a halfcourt game like they have in Florida.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting J_Ray:</div><div class="quote_post">K-I-R-I-L-E-N-K-O.......and no way in hell is he even close to what AK-47 is right now. Kirilenko is a unique player and I don't think you'll see another even close to what Andrei can for some on years. He's a rare freak of nature, so it's rare to find another one. Noah is too big and can't move like Andrei IMO. I do like Noah intensity and I think he'd fit good in a system like Utah, San Antonio, or Detroit, where's it's a halfcourt game like they have in Florida.</div> He's not up there with Kirilenko in skills, but he does have close to the same skillset that Kirilenko has. Both are great passers, ball handlers, decision makers, rebounders, and defenders. Both have great length and athleticism. No way in hell I think Noah will ever be as good as Kirilenko, but I do think he can(at his best) be a poors man Kirilenko. Noah isn't as much of a freak of nature as Kirilenko, but he is a freak of nature in his own right. You just don't get a 7 footer with that skill set that often. Gators weren't a halfcourt team. When we were forced to go halfcourt was when we struggled. (An example is the only game that we were forced into halfcourt in the tournament was Georgetown and we only beat them by 4-while we beat everyone else by at least 12). Noah is at his best on the break, he can manage halfcourt but he's way better on the break. Phoenix and Chicago are the 2 perfect locations for him, IMO.
I agree with Gators. For a big man, Noah is not slow at all. He is able to run the floor with the best of them.
Joakim Noah in my mind will challenge Greg Oden as the number one pick next year. Noah is proven, loves to compete, and has some of the best footwork I've seen from a big man in a while. Don't get me wrong, Oden will be the number one pick next year if he stays healthy, but I can see Noah being the second pick because of what his tournament was like this year and that he's very quick laterally and can make a good pro. Noah will add some pounds this year and show more dominate play at UF.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting C.K.:</div><div class="quote_post">Joakim Noah in my mind will challenge Greg Oden as the number one pick next year. Noah is proven, loves to compete, and has some of the best footwork I've seen from a big man in a while. Don't get me wrong, Oden will be the number one pick next year if he stays healthy, but I can see Noah being the second pick because of what his tournament was like this year and that he's very quick laterally and can make a good pro. Noah will add some pounds this year and show more dominate play at UF.</div> That's where the problem lies though, IMO. One, I'm not too sure if Noah can add much weight and 2, I'm not sure if we want him to add any more weight, because if he adds weight, then he likely won't maintain his greatest asset, his speed. Also, I don't expect him to put up great numbers, no player has ever avg over 15 shots per game in the Billy Donovan era, I think Anthony Roberson avg the most with just over 13 shots per game, so he won't be getting a lot of points. I also think Brewer will be the #1 option next year, just because he is so versatile on offense with the jump shot, mid range game, and his quick 1st step. He can also shoot over almost any SF in the college game. Billy Donovan's teams are based on balance, so it's pretty much impossible for someone to put up good enough numbers to be considered a #1 pick. I do expect him to improve his low post game though, but all eyes will be on him, so anything he does bad will be monitored and they will critique his game like crazy.
