Sept. 30--Joakim Noah won't discuss this being a contract year for him, but he has a ready answer for those who don't think he can co-exist with Pau Gasol.
"I think we should give it an honest evaluation while I'm healthy," Noah said Wednesday. "Last year, I wasn't healthy."
Whether Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg splits up Gasol and Noah and brings the latter off the bench is one of the more anticipated story lines of camp. After never fully recovering from his May 2014 left knee surgery last season, Noah spent most of his offseason at the acclaimed P3 Sports Science Academy in Santa Barbara, Calif.
"I'm so happy I'm able to be able to move the way I want to move. That's something I've kind of taken for granted in the past," Noah said. "I'm just excited to show what I can do.
"I don't want to talk about the past. I worked really hard this summer to get to where I am right now. I'm just really excited about right now."
Noah said he feels "bouncier," "lighter on his feet" and is performing yoga each morning before practice. He participated in both sessions Wednesday.
"He looks fresh," Gasol said. "He looks like he's in really good shape, worked hard during the summer. It's great to see him that way."
Layups: Taj Gibson participated in the morning practice, did conditioning work in the afternoon and sat out the evening contact practice. ... Hoiberg praised Jimmy Butler's performance for the second straight day, calling it "phenomenal."
