Report: Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says Joakim Noah's minutes will be limited

Joakim Noah averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds a game in 2012-13. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said that center Joakim Noah's minutes will be cut this upcoming season in an effort to rest a plantar fasciitis condition, which has bothered him in recent years, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Noah averaged 37 minutes a game last season, which was tied for second among NBA centers. He dealt with various injures all year, which limited him to 66 games.

Noah, 28, averaged 11.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, four assists and 2.1 blocks for the Bulls.

The Bulls open the regular season on the road Oct. 29 in Miami to face the two-time defending champions.

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After training with everyone from Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to surfer Laird Hamilton in the summer of 2012, Noah enjoyed another free-spirited offseason. He toured China with Yao Ming. He again spent time in Africa, where his father's family has roots. Through it all, he said he trained with no effects from the plantar fasciitis that has plagued two of his last three seasons. Thibodeau has said dropping Noah's minutes is a priority, so both the All-Star center and the Bulls are hopeful the recurring problem becomes manageable.