This Is How You Play D

     Damn, I really hate Joakim Noah. Mostly because I wish the Timberwolves had him. The Wolves could've, you know. With the seventh pick in the 2007 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Corey Brewer. Two picks later, Chicago plucked Joakim. I love Corey Brewer, and god loves him, too, but he's no Joakim Noah. Wasn't this pretty obvious when they won two NCAA titles together in '06 and '07 with the Florida Gators?
     Now you could say of Noah, "Oh, he's a clown. He barely had a shot back then from outside seven feet, and he barely does now. He's a punk. Been arrested for smokin' that smelly stuff. And what have you." And you'd be right. But you'd be wrong, too, because that stuff doesn't matter much when he is THE catalyst for the Chicago Bulls defense, best D in the league. His defense is catchy for the Bulls in the same way that Rubio's passing and Kirilenko's hustle is catchy for the Wolves. He annoyed the crap out of the Timberwolves in the Bulls' 87-80 win Saturday night, racking up four blocked shots, seven boards (four offensive), a steal and 17 points which included a thunderous third-quarter two-hand jam & yell, and an even more impressive double up-and-under move late in the shot clock when the Wolves really needed a stop at crunchtime. God, was it annoying. And also he puts his hands all over his mark while playing D. And grimaces constantly. And has that poofy ponytail. And wears French sneakers with a chicken on them. Actually, I kind of frickin' like all that. When I'm not hating it.
     The Wolves were game til the final buzzer, and I liked that for sure. They didn't give up even though both B-Roy and Neon Chase Budinger went down with injury, and, in fact, if it weren't for a trio of fourth-quarter threeballs by frumpy Bulls guard Marco Belinelli--a guy who looks like he smokes more cigarettes than Walt Flanagan's dog--the Wolves might've pulled 'er out. To tell you the truth, I'm glad the Wolves met up with the Bulls early on. The schedule's been soft thus far, and the Wolves needed to hone their blade on the Bulls' grindstone. The Bulls are a good example of how the Wolves should be playing--going hard on D, riding the bench, surviving without their own MVP Derrick Rose by way of supreme teamwork. No surprise considering their coach, Tom Thibodeau, maybe one of the top three coaches in the League along with Adelman and San Antone's Popovich.
     Wouldn't it be great if these two teams--once they get their All-Stars back--are there at the end?

P.S.: Derrick Williams is struggling big time, as his 0-10 shooting performance vs the Bulls clearly indicates. Watching him force up bad shots these days is way more noticeable now that the Wolves have jettisoned chuckers like Wes Johnson and Mike Beasley. He needs to find his happy place.... Nate Robinson is super bothersome. When he was smack-talking Shved after getting buckets on him a couple times in the first half, I was hoping Lexi would ball him back, but it didn't happen. It seemed like everything Robinson threw in was lucky. I remember when he shot at the wrong basket from half court as a joke when he played for the Knicks and got chewed out by his coach. I'm sure his foolish game will backfire on the Bulls at some point.