Noah-Noc spat, explained (somewhat)

These games against real contenders are a real time-saver, thanks to the Bulls and ShouldIWatch?com.

Apparently I missed a little more bad-team-going-down-the-drain hilarity on the court:

Andres Nocioni and Joakim Noah spent several minutes bickering on the court over a blown assignment during the third quarter of Friday night's dreadful 117-92 loss to the Cavaliers. The players then continued shouting at each other during a subsequent timeout.

What did they say, Sam?

I don't know what Andres Nocioni said to Joakim Noah in an animated third quarter huddle Friday with the Bulls behind by 31 on the way to losing 117-92 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But I suspect it was something like, "Hit someone!"

Oh, Hi-larious! lets flesh out that piece of non-information with calls for Norm Van Lier branded Chicago Toughness.

Better idea: do your job better, like Mike McGraw:

Friday's Joakim Noah-Andres Nocioni verbal altercation isn't surprising and shouldn't linger. It sounds like Nocioni took exception to being corrected by Noah on a defensive assignment. The way the Bulls played in this game, no one seemed qualified to question anyone else's performance. But that's what good teams should be doing.

Hey...that sounds like something Kelly Dwyer overheard in the game prior..

The ridiculousness that is Andres Nocioni: Joakim Noah has to scream at him "go guard your own man" as he ignores his guy (Shard Lewis) and tries to defend Dwight Howard in the post.

Signs you're not disciplined on defense: Joakim Noah has to tell you where to be.

Between this and Vinny's locker room boil-over, I can only hope that as Paxson surely sees the need for any type of trade (and he does...right? you alive, Pax?), he can use the media's narrative of Nocioni being the only guy with heart on the team to raise his value and trade him. Maybe spin similar crap for Hughes, he's getting numbers while others aren't trying (huh? Sorry Larry, I don't know how to spin your relative value).

Or, just as possible, Pax gets fed up and dumps Tyrus and Noah because they're malcontents and locker room cancers. At their lowest value. Great idea.

Not that those two are doing themselves any favors, so I just hope they can survive long enough with this team to run with a cleared-out roster and maybe a real coach. Especially you, Noah, how dare you recognize that Nocioni is a trainwreck on defense. He brings effort!