EuroBasket 2011

Joakim Noah is finally back with France

Joakim Noah's long-awaited arrival at France's pre-EuroBasket training camp took place on Friday afternoon as the Chicago Bulls star jetted in from Los Angeles.

Noah has been receiving treatment in the United States on an ankle injury but has now been cleared to train and wasted no time in heading to Pau, France to get up to speed with his team-mates.

The 26-year-old can be a wild-card for France in Lithuania, with neither Les Bleus nor their opponents knowing exactly how big an impact he will have.

While his talent is unquestionable, this will be his first international tournament, and the lack of experience combined with possible lingering effects of the injury will make him one of the more intriguing players on court.

"He is a big, big player in the NBA," said Nicolas Batum. "He could do something big for us, and be an extraordinary player."

However, coach Vincent Collet sounded a note of caution.

"He is hungry but he does not have the experience of other players in the group," he said. "We should not put too much pressure on him."