Noah On Bulls' Attitude: 'Nobody Can Mess With Us'
By Cody Westerlund-
CHICAGO (CBS) – Buoyed by his team's eighth win in nine games and filled with the holiday spirit, Chicago big man Joakim Noah mixed a jolly mood with thoughtful reflection in a way only he can after the Bulls' 113-93 win on Thursday night against the Lakers at the United Center.
Noah had a dual message. First, could someone knock some sense into teammate Jimmy Butler?
"He's as stubborn as they come," Noah said of Butler, who continued his splendid all-around play with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists. "This guy's putting heat packs on his knees after games. Heat packs? I'm like, 'No, it's ice Jimmy after games.' And he's trying to explain why it's heat.
"It's crazy. 'No – it's only for when you have inflammation.' That's what his answer was. All right, Jimmy. You got it all figured out. All right, Jimmy."
Noah said this in both jest and disbelief, finally determining Jimmy is going to be Jimmy before moving onto the weightier topic – the potential of these Bulls. What Noah's long believed, he's now experiencing as Chicago's moved to 20-9 by winning five straight, including recent victories against the West's third-best squad (Memphis) and two of the top three teams in the East (Toronto and Washington).
At their best, the Bulls can beat anyone.
"Right now, there's a belief a lot more than there was a couple weeks ago," Noah said. "As a player, there's nothing better than that – is having that belief that, 'You know what? When we're on and we're competing, nobody can mess with us.' That's the feeling we're starting to get. As an NBA player, there's no better feeling than that."
On several previous occasions, Noah has emphasized the sacrifice it will take for the Bulls to win a title – be it minutes, scoring or ego. In his eyes, the challenge is just as mental as it is physical.
"It all comes in time, just understanding personnel," Noah said. "And I think it's going to happen. I really believe in this team. There's a lot of different characters on this team, a lot of stubborn characters on this team. And I think it's a good thing, but it's also a bad thing. So we all have to come together, find ways to improve. And I think that we can. We're definitely on the right track.
"We're very, very talented. And I think we can still get a lot better."
Taking a cue from coach Tom Thibodeau whether he knew it or not, Noah cited offense and defense as the specific areas the Bulls can improve in. Shedding a little more light, he emphasized that it's "on us to make sure we don't get complacent" on defense when the offense is clicking.
In a sight rarely seen in the Thibodeau era, the Bulls are dominating offensively, having scored 100 points in 20 of their 29 games and ranking sixth in the NBA in offensive efficiency.
It's all fueled Noah's belief, which he happily shared on Christmas night.
"Only time will tell, you know," Noah said. "We can't be satisfied with where we're at now … The good thing is I feel like when you look at the Chicago Bulls, the green arrow's up right now. That's all I know. I don't know a percentage, but I think that green arrow's up."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
