Oct 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) blocks the shot of Detroit Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5) during the second quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bulls will have center Joakim Noah when they travel to Miami to take on the Heat Tuesday night.
Noah has been bothered by a groin injury throughout the preseason, but told reporters he is “100-percent” and hasn’t even thought about sitting out of Tuesday’s opener.
“I think if my groin was still bothering me we’d have to talk about it because I didn’t want it to linger on all season,” Noah told Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. “It would have been really tough to sit out a game that I’ve been waiting for all summer. I’ve been training for this game all summer. So it would have been tough but we got to think big picture.”
Last season, the 6’11, 232 lb. big man out of Florida averaged 11.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 blocks per game in 66 games for the Bulls.
Reserve point guard Kirk Hinrich, who has been bothered by a concussion said he was “feeling good.”
“They went through everything,” Bulls’ head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They came in , they were fine so we’ll see where they are.”