The Chicago Bulls announced that forward Mike Dunleavy will miss the next 8-10 weeks after having successful back surgery:
Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy successfully underwent a low back microdiscectomy procedure earlier today at Rush University Medical Center. Dunleavy had experienced some occasional back discomfort over the summer which had recently worsened. Conservative measures failed to satisfactorily resolve his symptoms, therefore, the decision was made to perform the surgery. The timing is unfortunate, but it was imperative that all conservative measures were exhausted prior to making this decision.
Dunleavy re-signed with the Bulls on a three-year deal in July.
This timetable will leave Dunleavy out of action for training camp as well as the start of the 2015-16 season. Dunleavy started in all 63 games he played in at small forward last season. The Bulls now have a new head coach in Fred Hoiberg who should have use for Dunleavy with his ability to defend and space the floor.
In the meantime, Hoiberg might even look to experiment with his lineups as he acclimates the team to his system. Under Tom Thibodeau, Tony Snell typically got the call behind Dunleavy and saw 22 starts last season. It depends on if Hoiberg wants to play with more shooting, because we could see more of Nikola Mirotic at small forward or some three-guard sets with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler included.
