Chicago Bulls Roster and Injury News: Joakim Noah Will Undergo Surgery, Out 4-6 Months
The Chicago Bulls faced a lot of uncertainties this season, with former MVP Derrick Rose having to deal with different kinds of injuries to start the year, as well as the public criticism of Jimmy Butler on first year head coach Fred Hoiberg. And now, add to that list the injury of center Joakim Noah.
The team announced that the 30-year-old will be undergoing surgery to repair his dislocated left shoulder, which suggests he'll be missing at least four months. He got the injury in a game against the Dallas Mavericks where the Bulls lost, 83-77.
Noah's last hurrah?
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Noah thrived in the system of former head coach Tom Thibodeau, which is why he was signed to a five-year contract worth $60 million. However, the change in direction for the Bulls this season and the entry of Hoiberg as the team's new coach didn't favor the Swedish-French center. He was eventually relegated to the bench, which led to the demise of his production in court. He currently averages 4.3 points per game in less than 22 minutes.
With a significantly diminished role, it's quite obvious that the Bulls are no longer looking at resigning him. As a matter of fact, he may even get traded before the February deadline in favor of a wing player. There's no denying that the Bulls have an already formidable frontcourt even without him, with the likes of Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson, and Nikola Mirotic manning the middle. Among them, Noah should be the most expendable asset.
But if there's one thing everyone can admire about Noah is that he sees a lot of positives out of the situation. For instance, he told his team that he is more than willing to come off the bench and help the team win. The Bulls are currently sitting third in the Eastern Conference with a 23-16 record. While they belong to the upper class of teams in the East, it doesn't mean they can easily breeze through competition. Should they want to go deeper into the postseason, they'll need to decide the fate of Noah as soon as possible.
