Noah's minutes dwindling with Knicks: 'I know I need to play better'
The immediate thrill of signing with the New York Knicks for Big Apple native Joakim Noah may be wearing off, with the harsh reality setting in that his humdrum play is leaving head coach Jeff Hornacek no alternative but to keep him on the bench more often than not.
For the fourth time this season, Noah was held scoreless in double-digit minutes during New York's 107-102 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back against the team Saturday. He didn't attempt a single shot in 12 minutes of action, while grabbing three rebounds and picking up one personal foul.
Noah was yanked midway through the third quarter and didn't see the floor again.
"I think everybody does," the 31-year-old said when asked whether he wants to be playing in the fourth quarter of games, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "Those are not things I can control. All I can control is my progress. I need to play better and I will. I just got to stay working."
Point guard Derrick Rose - who was also a teammate of Noah's during their time together with the Chicago Bulls - can tell how frustrated his friend is with his fluctuating playing time, but is happy to see it's not affecting his overall demeanor.
"He's a winner man," Rose said. "Of course it hurts when you want to be out there and he wants to play. It's not up to him. It's up to coach. He has a great attitude. He's still in the game cheering, telling us what to do, what he sees. That's what you want from a teammate, especially someone as vocal as he is."
Despite being a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year not too long ago, Noah has actually had a negative impact on New York's defense in his 16 appearances, with the team allowing 4.9 more points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor.
The emergence of Willy Hernangomez and backup Kyle O'Quinn, paired with Noah's abysmal 31.6 free-throw percentage, has also forced Hornacek's hand in benching him lately.
Noah is currently averaging 4.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 0.8 steals in 22.2 minutes for the 8-8 Knicks.