… well I’m not Doug!

Actually, no, that’s not true: We came to the realization Joakim Noah does a lot of good things on the basketball court during the Celtics playoffs series last season. But Noah, after an offseason where he gained bulk and worked on his game like crazy, has impressed early on this season. He’s a consistent double-double man. He’s hitting his awkward-as-can-be jumper. He’s banging on the boards like always, but he’s doing it with more authority.

And after he went off for 21 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks against the Bobcats on Friday night, he’s made a believer out of one knee-jerk Chicago sports columnist. Via Mike McGraw at the Daily Herald (via Blog-a-Bull):

Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey showed up at practice carrying an old copy of his sports section and a jar of salsa. Apparently on draft night 2007, he wrote that if Joakim Noah becomes a useful player within three years, he’ll eat his column with salsa.

Well, Noah had 21 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks in Saturday’s win over Charlotte, so Morrissey actually showed up to eat the column. I didn’t see it happen, but the stunt was videotaped and I’m sure the two-year old newsprint was delicious.

I smell viral video success!

Noah is likely never going to be a volume scorer — I refuse to believe a guy that shoots a basketball like a frisbee can go 20-plus a night for 82 games– but he’s proven the haters wrong. Just because he wore a goofy bow tie on draft night and has long hair didn’t mean he was going to be a bust (the Morrissey column isn’t online, but if I was a betting man, I’m sure he said something about his draft-night outfit); this was sort of a silly, thin-sliced bias a lot of people had towards the guy. But it just simply meant he’s got some style and swagger about him, that he’s a character. We should be judging Noah’s worth to the team by his play on the court, not on his off-court theatrics.

And if Noah keeps playing how he has in the Bulls’ first six games, the team has found themselves with an above average center who plays good defense, rebounds and can flash some offensive game here and there. He’s playing with that same intensity he’s always brought, but he’s got some more skill to go along with it.

Say it with me now, kids: “Joakim Noah is a pretty good basketball player*.”

*Provided his first six games this season have not been an anomaly.