Out of all the positions in basketball, it's hard to argue against the case that centers get the most ridiculous contracts thrown their way. Erick Dampier getting $73 million for seven years is a prime example of how much teams value a skilled big man in the post. Even if it's for only one good year of work (like Dampier did with the Golden State Warriors the year before signing this particularly monstrous deal), teams sometimes fall victim to overpaying big men much more than they actually deserve.
With all this said, you might think Joakim Noah is just another big man playing for a huge deal before he becomes lazy and falls back into being an effective role player, but nothing more. Unlike most giant men who sign enormous deals before tailing off (a more recent sports example—Albert Haynesworth), Noah has proven in the past that he's a winner.
Noah never shot under 60 percent for a season while in college (where he won an NCAA national title with the Florida Gators), his length is menacing, and his fiery attitude has irrefutably been inspiring to his teammates. He has done a fairly good job transitioning to the NBA, as his field goal percentage still ...
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Article written by Dan Schultz
Joakim Noah: Why the Chicago Bulls Were Smart to Pay Him $60 Million
October 5th, 2010 by Dan Schultz Leave a reply »
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