Now even next season will start badly for maligned center Joakim Noah.
Noah, who has been out since late February after knee surgery, will be suspended Saturday by the NBA for 20 games for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, according to a Vertical report.
Even though Noah is rehabbing, the suspension reportedly will begin with the remaining 10 games of this season and the first 10 of next season.
Noah was to be evaluated in late March after a loose bone fragment was removed from his left knee and had said he wanted to finish out the season to build momentum. The Vertical report stated Noah’s infraction was using a banned over-the-counter supplement, adding to his miserable first year as a Knick.
The report stated Noah didn’t “knowingly or willingly violate the policy.” Noah did not travel with the Knicks on their Western swing. They face San Antonio to finish the four-game trip Saturday. The Knicks signed Noah to a four-year, $72 million pact in the summer, and it arguably has turned into president Phil Jackson’s worst maneuver.
The vitamins didn’t do the 32-year-old former Bull any good. He played just 46 games, averaging five points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He shot 49.5 percent from the field — almost all layups — and just 44 percent from the free-throw line. Noah was an offensive liability and lost a step on defense, though he rebounded decently.