The Chicago Bulls had their six game winning streak snapped on Saturday night when they lost to the Atlanta Hawks but they are still 22-13 which is the second best record in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls certainly have the talent to compete for a championship and they seem to have figured out their chemistry issues but they are still missing one more important piece and that is Mike Dunleavy. Dunleavy has yet to play this season and will likely be out for at least another month, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago.
Dunleavy has yet to play in a single game this season after undergoing back surgery in the offseason. Dunleavy was expected to return in early December but suffered a setback which was expected to keep him out for another 4-6 weeks. It has been over a month since that setback and Dunleavy is still not doing basketball activities so that timetable was likely too generous.
At the end of December there was a report that Dunleavy was on schedule with his rehab and should be back within the 4-6 week timetable but now that seems out of the realm of possibility. Head coach Fred Hoiberg said he expects Dunleavy to start basketball activities within the next couple of weeks but that doesn't mean a return is coming immediately. Dunleavy will still need to work his way back into game shape, be cleared for contact, and get in some practices before he makes his season debut.
As of right now the target for Dunleavy's return seems to be around the All-Star break but with the way his back his been treating him since the surgery it is impossible to know if he will actually return at that time. The Bulls could really use Dunleavy back too as the small forward position has been a bit of an issue for them so far this season. Tony Snell and Doug McDermott have shot the three-ball well but haven't done much else which has led Nikola Mirotic to spend most of his time at the three.
The 35-year-old Dunleavy is a career 38 percent shooter from beyond the arc and is a very good team defender so if and when he returns he should bring some stability to the small forward spot. The Bulls have been playing very well lately but getting Dunleavy back at some point should only help them moving forward.
