Joakim Noah Wins NBA Defensive Player Of The Year

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 21, 2014 7:30PM

Bulls center Joakim Noah had what was, by all accounts, a breakout season offensively while maintaining his already solid defensive play. With his improved performance comes individual rewards.

The Bulls have scheduled a 4 p.m. press conference where Noah is expected to be named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Tribune Bulls beat writer K.C. Johnson confirmed the award earlier. Noah becomes the second Bull to be named Defensive Player of the Year. Michael Jordan earned the honor in 1988.

Noah was an integral part of the league's second-best best defense in terms of efficiency but his defensive game makes him a unique choice for the award. Noah's strengths on defense are in stopping the pick and roll and help-side defense. But Noah ranks first in defensive rating at 95.8, and his defensive win shares is 6.6. The Bulls defense allowed an astounding 97.8 points per 100 possessions. Noah averaged 11.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals this season and became the first center to have four triple doubles in a regular season since David Robinson and he emerged as the team's emotional leader after Derrick Rose was lost for the season with a knee injury and Luol Deng was traded.