Report: Dunleavy expected out 4-6 more weeks
Chicago Bulls guard Mike Dunleavy Jr. is expected to be off the court for four to six more weeks, Yahoo! Sports reported Thursday night, citing league sources.
Dunleavy, who had back surgery in late September, has not played all season. The Bulls initially said after his surgery that Dunleavy would be out eight to 10 weeks. However, coach Fred Hoiberg said Monday that Dunleavy had experienced a “setback.”
“Mike’s had a little setback with his back,” Hoiberg said before Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. “He had a little pain this last week. He feels better after taking a couple days off. [We] had him seen by the doctor today, and the recommendation is for him to get off the floor and to really focus just on straight rehab for about two weeks. We’ve also consulted with some other doctors, some specialists around the country, so he’s going to see a couple of those [doctors] this week as well.”
Dunleavy met with specialists in Los Angeles and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, according to the Yahoo! Sports report.
Hoiberg said Monday the team wasn’t concerned Dunleavy would have to miss the entire season or have another procedure on his back. He also said the setback came last week, after Dunleavy started doing more in practice in an attempt to get back on the floor.
“He was really sore when we went out on the West Coast,” Hoiberg said. “And he had upped his activity level quite a bit, and [the soreness] quieted down a lot, which I think is a good sign these last couple days when he’s had inactivity. Now, it’s a matter of getting those muscles strengthened in the back and in the core. Like I said, go out and see a specialist and put a plan together and hopefully get him back out there.”
ESPN’s Nick Friedell contributed to this report.
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