Bulls' players hit hard by Noah's injury: 'It's devastating'
The Chicago Bulls have had to cope with a lot of injury woes over the past several years, but it hasn't gotten any easier.
Whether a player is getting hurt himself or watching it happen to a teammate, the Bulls know the feeling all too well. The latest to go down was center, and emotional compass, Joakim Noah, who suffered a separated left shoulder Friday that's put the rest of his season in jeopardy.
"It hurt, it hurt, just knowing how hard he worked, how hard he wants to be on the court, how much he means to this team," said Derrick Rose (who would know better than anyone), according to CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill. "It's devastating."
Noah had just returned after a nine-game absence due to a slight tear in the same shoulder. In four games after his return, he shot 5-of-20 from the field and scored just 11 total points.
An NBA medical personnel familiar with Noah's injury told Goodwill: "He'll be out awhile, the second time it pops out is not good. Whatever has healed has been injured again along with usually more stuff."
Though he's struggled badly this season and most evidence points to Chicago playing better without him, the Bulls can't help but feel gutted for their longtime anchor, who helped keep the team competitive during the years Rose missed with knee injuries.
"Seeing him on the table like that, kinda got a flashback to when Derrick got hurt," sad Taj Gibson, who's been teammates with both since being drafted by the Bulls in 2009. "You don't want to see your man go down like that. It is frustrating. ...
"You see a guy in all different kind of circumstances in eight years, guy you pride yourself with, especially in practice on a daily basis, he's one of the emotional leaders of this team. It hits you in the heart."
For the season, Noah's averaging a career-low 4.3 points on a career-worst (by far) 38.3 shooting percentage, though he's continued to chip in on the boards (8.8 rebounds) and with his passing (3.8 assists).
The Bulls are 15-14 in games he's played, and 8-2 in those he's missed.