Nick Friedell, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Noah working through knee injury

CHICAGO -- Joakim Noah doesn't pull punches.

In order to get a straight answer from the Chicago Bulls All-Star center, media members are required to ask a fully-formed, thoughtful, question. Anything less than that and Noah usually gives a half-hearted answer. To his credit, the emotional center can be one of the most honest quotes in the league when he feels like it. Wednesday's media session provided the latest example of that.

As Noah continues recovering from arthroscopic left surgery in May, he was asked if he is now "100 percent" healthy heading into the season.

"I haven't been 100 percent in years," he said.

He didn't say it as a joke. And surely that's the way many players around the league feel as they embark on another year of their careers. But the fact that he said it at all is one of the things that makes Noah different. He's feeling better than he did at the end of the season when he was hobbling up and down the floor against the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but the 29-year-old knows that no matter how much offseason work he puts in he's never going to feel as good as he wants to. Injuries pile up over time in the meat grinder that is the NBA schedule. Among the things Noah has dealt with during his seven-year career are plantar fasciitis, a badly sprained ankle, torn ligaments in his thumb and now knee surgery.

When a reporter followed up and asked if he was 95 percent, he just kind of shook his head and politely ended the media session. At this stage in a career, no player is 100 percent. The difference is that Noah is just more honest than most. But Noah's situation, along with that of Derrick Rose as he makes his way back from another knee surgery, is a reminder of how fragile an NBA season can be. It also underscores just how big Noah's presence has become in recent years. While many fans are understandably focused on Rose's return, the reality for the Bulls is that Noah is almost as important. If they lose him to a serious injury, their championship aspirations are gone.

That's why the Bulls are being so cautious in regards to Noah's return to the floor. In the short-term, the returns have been positive.

"He told me he's feeling great," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He told me he didn't have any problems. So we'll just keep checking day by day. Hopefully he's good."

Noah appeared to be in good spirits Wednesday, but it will be interesting to see how well he moves with the bulky brace on his left knee. Noah has struggled to find a rhythm early in seasons as evidenced by his slow starts in years past, but he has never faced knee surgery before -- a fact he knows all too well.

"I feel pretty good," Noah said. "This is the first basketball I've played in a while. But I've been training really hard all summer just trying to be as ready as possible for this. It's really exciting."

While Thibodeau didn't come right out and say it, it's a safe bet that Noah's minutes will be watched closely in the preseason as he continues to make his way back from this latest injury.

"I want to see where he is," Thibodeau said of Noah's minutes. "The preseason, I want to see a lot of guys play, and that's normal. I think any preseason you want your whole team to get some minutes. And then the last couple preseason games you narrow it down to your rotation that you'll start the season with."

Either way, Noah understands he must watch his body closer than ever. He has dedicated a lot of time over the last few years to getting his body in a better place alongside his close friend and personal trainer, Alex Perris. He knows the Bulls have a chance to win a championship this year, which is why he is doing everything he can to prepare himself for the new season.

"I'm always concerned," Noah said of his health. "But I think that's who I am as a player. I'm going through something a little bit different, but this is all part of the process so I'm just staying focused, doing what I got to do every day just trying to get better."

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