Joakim Noah does not want to hear the word "tanking." That term has certainly been tossed around a lot regarding the Chicago Bulls. The team once again lost Derrick Rose for likely the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Luol Deng was then traded in return for draft picks and cash. Fans might be throwing in the towel on the year, but Noah is not.
"What do I say to those fans?" Noah said, via ESPNChicago.com. "I don't say nothing to those fans. It's all good. You're allowed to have your opinion. It's just ... that's not a real fan to me. You know what I'm saying? You want your team to lose? What is that? But it's all good."
Noah is tired of hearing fans request the Bulls throw the season in order to gain a better spot in the NBA draft lottery. However, the Bulls have won their last nine of 12 games while five of those wins came following the trade of Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are holding tight to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
"Do you really think we talk about it?" Noah said. "No way, man. No way. We don't talk about those things. It's like it's so far from our reality. You know what I mean? We play for a coach [Tom Thibodeau] that's ... it's difficult. It's difficult every day. We grind hard every day, and we give it our best effort every day."
Forward Taj Gibson echoed Noah's rip on Bulls fans. The veteran says that if fans were in the shoes of the players, they would not be aiming to lose games. He praised head coach Tom Thibodeau for motivating the team during this time of transition and remains confident Chicago will continue to compete for the rest of the year.
"Thibs is, every day he's coming in he's kind of shocked, and at the same time he's so proud," Gibson said. "Because he's like, 'I believe in what we have, and I'm so proud of you guys. You already keep shocking me every time you step on the court. And I think we got enough, it's going to be a special year and we've just got to keep digging.'"
Changes could still be coming for the Bulls, but it might not be for the rest of the season. ESPN reports Carlos Boozer could be the next sent packing. The Bulls are considering using their amnesty clause on Boozer to once again save money in hopes of signing a marquee player in free agency.
