Joakim Noah Likely to Miss Season Opener

According to Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, Joakim Noah will be out for longer than a week with groin pain. The big fella is likely to miss the season opener in Miami. Per the Chicago Sun-Times: “[Wednesday] is like the first day he could shoot a ball, and it’s basically all straight-ahead stuff,’ Thibodeau said before the preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Intrust Bank Arena. ‘He’s completely deconditioned, so we’re very concerned about that.’ Noah has been sidelined with a strained groin most of camp and played only 19 minutes in one preseason game. He was in great shape when camp started, but that’s no longer the case. But Noah wouldn’t rule himself out just yet for the game against the Heat. ‘We evaluate every day,’ Noah said. ‘I want to be out there as soon as I can. I just don’t want it to linger. It sucks. There’s nothing more that I want than to be out there on the court. It’s part of the process. A little groin injury, I have to be smart.’ Noah was asked if Miami was in doubt, and he said, ‘It’s possible. But I’m not there yet. In my mind, I’m playing. I want to be out there as soon as I can. We’ll see when that is.'”