I never thought Noah was any good. I still don't think he's any good now. His numbers, which aren't very good anyway, are greatly inflated because he plays for the team with the weakest frontcourt in the NBA.
I understand your reasoning for thinking that his numbers are inflated, but it can be easily be countered by saying that he doesn't get many touches due to the system that he plays in. The Bulls are a backcourt-oriented team offensively. And his role is get points by garbage baskets or the occasional post play.
In terms of rebounding, he's the second-leading rebounder on a team that ranks 13th in rebounding in the league. Hence, you can make an argument that his rebounding statistics are deflated since his numbers would most likely be much higher on a poorer rebounding team. For example, if he were to play for, let's say, your beloved Portland Trailblazers, his rebounding numbers should theoretically improve. In addition, if you look at his efficiency, he should be averaging approximately 11 rpg if he was averaging starters' minutes.
Guess what? Here are his statistics for the three games he's played this season where he played 30+ mpg.
Game 1 = 9 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Game 2 = 8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal
Game 3 = 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Those are solid numbers. And if you take a look at his efficiency from last season to this season, you'll see that he has dropped a bit offensively, but his rebounding efficiency has improved a great deal - as well as his shot-blocking.
The guy is only 23 years old, he's only in his second season and he's got potential to be a very good role player. There's a reason the Bulls have not been willing to include him in potential deals. And that's because he's a potential valuable piece down the road.
The last thing the Bulls should want is to lose another potential Tyson Chandler before he develops.
