The LA Clippers officially announced the signing of two-time All-Star Joakim Noah who should help shore up the team’s center rotation.
The signing of two-time All-Star Joakim Noah was made official by the LA Clippers on Monday afternoon. After the news had been reported last week by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that Noah would be joining the team on a ten-day contract, the team’s PR department put out an official release.
The release does not state the terms of the deal, citing team policy. It does have a ringing endorsement from President of Basketball Operations, Lawrence Frank. In the release from the team, Frank says:
"“Joakim is a relentless competitor and a proven winner. His experience, acumen and toughness fit well in our locker room.”"
The relentlessness and toughness that Frank mentioned is part of the reason Clipper Nation is so excited to have Noah on board. He seems like the perfect personality to pair alongside the likes of Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris, Montrezl Harrell, and the other Clippers’ hard-nosed players.
Noah also helps shore up a shallow center rotation. While there is not an expectation he will get many minutes over either Harrell or starter Ivica Zubac, having more size on the bench is excellent in “break glass in case of emergency” type of situation.
Noah is no newbie when it comes to playoff experience, something every team can always use in their locker room. He appeared in the playoffs with the Chicago Bulls seven times from 2008-2015 and was a vocal leader for that team. His presence will only help strengthen this group.
The 33-year-old played a total of 42 games last season for the Memphis Grizzlies, tallying an average of 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 0.5 steals in 16.5 minutes per game. He probably will not even see that much time for the Clippers unless the team can get early leads or need additional size.
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