Denver Nuggets Coach Karl big fan of Noah
DENVER - Joakim Noah got a plug for the all-star team Saturday. It was from Denver coach George Karl, who votes only for the Western Conference reserves, so it won't get Noah any closer to Dallas Cowboys Stadium for the NBA All-Star Game.
The way Noah has been playing, it was only a matter of time before someone broached the subject. The third-year center started Saturday's action averaging a league-best 12.6 rebounds, along with 12.1 points.
"I tip my hat off to the kid," Karl said. "The kid plays at an all-star level with just rebounding and hustle and he has a belief in himself in the paint that very few young kids have. He's put some big numbers up, and I'm very impressed by him."
Asked to come up with a Noah comparison in NBA history, Karl thought for a while and suggested a bigger Buck Williams, who might be best known for his days with Portland in the 1990s.
Posed with the same question two days earlier, Lakers coach Phil Jackson came up with Sam Lacey, an obscure ex-Kansas City King.
Noah picked up his second foul with about four minutes left in the first quarter Saturday, which cut into his rebounding time. He did demonstrate how much he has improved by driving to the hoop and finishing a left-handed bank at full speed in the second quarter.
"A lot of guys can have an impact on the game as a role player and an energy player," Karl said. "He's having an impact on the game as an energy player as a starter. That's hard to do in this league."
Karl also credited Noah for helping force Carmelo Anthony into an 8-for-22 shooting night when these teams met Nov. 10 at the United Center. The Nuggets' coach felt the Bulls were able to steer Anthony into Noah's help, while keeping long-armed Luol Deng on the double-team.
Anthony got off to another slow start in Saturday's rematch, missing 8 of 10 shots in the first quarter.
Karl, a noted smart aleck, couldn't resist taking one dig at Noah when someone asked his thoughts on the sideways-spinning jump shot.
"A lot of shot doctors are unemployed," Karl quipped. "The Bulls might want to think about hiring one."