As Noah fell, so did the Bulls. So disastrous was his 2014-15 season, he would register less total points scored (485) than his rookie season (488). Guarding more power forwards than ever before, his storied defensive ability had also fallen away. Moving from center to the four spot in order to integrate the slow and aging Gasol, no longer would his lateral quickness be a staple in the pick-and-roll defense. If that weren’t enough, his playoff performance would be worse than his regular season play. On the big stage, once again matched up against James and his cronies, the Cavaliers would expose the center's inability to efficiently score the basketball, often leaving him unguarded and forcing the Bulls into an inadvertent 4 on 5 scenario.
With no one guarding him and more room to operate with, Noah simply couldn't get it done. His already terrible regular season true-shooting percentage (48.4%) would significantly fall (40.7%) in the post-season.
So much had changed. No longer would Noah be viewed as one of the most versatile and terrific defenders in the league. Instead, his name would quickly carry a stigma which would have supporters shouting "trade him now!".