Bulls’ Mike Dunleavy undergoes back surgery, out 8-10 weeks

Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy will miss eight to 10 weeks after he underwent a low back microdiscectomy procedure on Friday, the team announced.

In a statement, the team said Dunleavy “experienced some occasional back discomfort over the summer which had recently worsened”. Dunleavy, a 13-year National Basketball Association veteran, has been a vital figure for the Bulls, particularly with his ability to nail the three-point shot. The Bulls, as they’re accustomed to doing, will just have to wait awhile.

With Dunleavy sidelined, the Bulls will be forced to turn to second-year man Doug McDermott for contributions on the wing. He averaged 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 43.5 percent overall and 40.7 percent from three last regular season, and Chicago struggled when he was out of the lineup with an ankle injury. Another alternative could be going entirely small and starting Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt with Derrick Rose while Butler slides to small forward.

Depending on the progress of his rehabilitation, the earliest time that Dunleavy could return would be on November 20 and the latest by December 4. As a rookie McDermott didn’t get much of a chance to live up to those expectations but with Mike Dunleavy set to miss time McDermott could see a big minutes increase at least at the beginning of the season, according to Rotoworld.

As Chicago’s starting small forward, Dunleavy doesn’t put up major numbers, but he is a key component due to his outstanding outside shooting. This is why Dunleavy is so important to the team, as he was the one player who was spacing and stretching the floor for the Bulls to allow others guys to do their thing.