The Bulls will be without a key member of their frontcourt for the remainder of the regular season after it was announced Saturday that Joakim Noah will have surgery to repair a dislocated left shoulder. The center is expected to miss four to six months.
Joakim Noah was evaluated today and will need surgery on his left shoulder. Noah is estimated to be out 4-6 months. https://t.co/5pqir2Izmj
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 17, 2016Noah underwent an MRI Saturday after he dislocated the same left shoulder he dislocated in December. That injury cost him nine games.
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The same injury kept Kevin Love out of basketball activities for more than four months last season, and while all injuries are different, it appears Noah will be out until at least May.
"I'm frustrated for him," Bulls power forward Taj Gibson said, via The Chicago Tribune. "He felt so good coming into this game. We don't know the severity of it but the look on his face was just crazy. He had put so much work in to get back to the team.
"It just makes my stomach sick. You've been going to war with this guy all kind of different circumstances over eight years, a guy you pride yourself with, especially with practice and he's one of the emotional leaders, it hits you in the heart. Seeing him on that table like that, I kind of got flashbacks to when Derrick got hurt. You don't want to see your man go down like that. It's frustrating."
Gibson and rookie Bobby Portis will likely pick up the slack in Noah's absence.