ORLANDO - You could say Joakim Noah was doomed the day he set foot in Chicago.
"Damn, I hated Michael Jordan," Noah, representing disgruntled Knicks fans everywhere, told reporters following the 7-footer's pre-draft meeting with the Bulls in June.
Mistake No. 1.
Since that workout, little has worked out for Noah, picked No. 9 by the Bulls in the 2007 draft.
The exuberant former UF big man developed a knack for tardiness at practices, struggled to learn the playbook and, most notably, ruffled feathers after a heated confrontation with an assistant coach last week.
Outsiders wonder just what he learned, if anything, in three years at UF.
Noah did not speak to media before Tuesday night's 102-88 loss against the Orlando Magic but did address his tumultuous rookie season after the game.
"I miss it, I miss Florida," said Noah, who scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench for his first career double-double in his first game action in a week. "The toughest adjustment is losing. I've never really lost like that before in my life. Of course sitting is hard. I'm not getting a lot of playing time on a consistent basis. But at the same time, those aren't things that I can control."
Noah averaged four points and three rebounds in 12 minutes per game entering Tuesday.
He hoped to see the floor for the first time since being suspended two games (once by the coaches, once by a unanimous vote by his fellow teammates) for his practice tirade directed at assistant coach Ron Adams.
Noah made it into the game - subbed in with 2:54 left in the first quarter to a dash of applause and a pinch of boos - and played more spirited than any other Bull.
That's not saying much though, as Coach Jim Boylan called his team's play uninspired after the game.
And that was a kind analysis.
Noah's perceived troubles are part self-inflicted but part scapegoat, too.
The Bulls are 14-22 and, along with the Miami Heat, one of the biggest disappointments of the early season.
They made the conference semifinals last season but are a ways away from sniffing the playoffs right now.
Coach Scott Skiles got fired after the slow start, and Boylan is now trying to piece together the rest of the season.
A team wrought with a recent winning tradition is far from figuring things out.
But one man can pin down Noah's troubles, for what it's worth.
"I know what Jo's biggest problem is," UF coach Billy Donovan said. "Jo's biggest problem is Jo just wants to win, and when he sees things that are getting in the way of winning, Jo has a tendency to maybe become somewhat demonstrative or loud or speak his opinion. I will never believe that his suspension has anything to do with him being selfish. If anything, it has to do with him wanting to win."
If Chicago keeps losing, Bulls fans will begin to whisper "bust" when referring to Tyrus Thomas and Noah, whom the team probably would have taken at No. 2 in the 2006 draft.
His perception as a high-energy, hustle guy would lead to a role as a fan favorite in most cities (like Noah-clone Anderson Varejao in Cleveland), but not in Chicago, not in a place wrought with championship tradition.
Noah needs to affect winning, not stand from a Wrigleyville rooftop during a Cubs game, cheering for the opposing team.
Noah needs to produce like a top-10 pick, not bring in Dunkin' Donuts for Bulls veterans when he was supposed to grab Krispy Kremes.
He started his climb back into the team's good graces in Orlando, as his coach offered some praise.
"Hopefully, it was a learning experience for everybody," Boylan said of the suspension. "I was proud of the way Jo took the punishment."
Now if Noah can just get Jordan on his good side.
