When players say they’ll do anything to win, even if it means coming off the bench, it’s generally a figure of speech. In Joakim Noah’s case, it has become literal. Noah embraced his reserve role during the preseason despite being a starter most of his career.
Noah on Hoiberg selling him plan to come off bench: “He didn’t have to sell me anything. I want to win.”
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) October 27, 2015
With a new system set in place with an overloaded front-court, somebody was going to be the odd-man out of the starting lineup. In a coin flip between a former Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time NBA champion, the nod went to the latter. Just like the Golden State Warriors from last season, the Bulls will bring an Allstar off the bench to balance out the talent.
