Joakim Noah to Miss 8-10 Weeks

It turns out that Noah will indeed be sitting. Thumb surgery will keep the Bulls’ forward on the sidelines for quite a bit of time. From the Chicago Tribune: “Noah is scheduled to miss eight to 10 weeks, not returning until after the All-Star break in late February or early March. That would be at least 30 games for the heart and soul — and rebounding machine — of the franchise. ‘It sucks,’ Noah said. ‘It’s not what I want. But I have to get back to playing at a high level. I’m tired of taking anti-inflammatory (pills) every time I play. I’m tired of not dribbling with my right hand. I’m going to miss playing. It’s frustrating because I feel we have a chance to be really, really good. But I know in the long run, this is what needs to be done.’ Having the surgery now ensures Noah will return in time for the playoffs. ‘We’re disappointed for Jo,’ coach Tom Thibodeau said. ‘He has put a lot of work in. But our guys are confident and the bench is deep. We have more than enough to win with. Taj (Gibson) and Kurt (Thomas) have started a bunch of games in the league. Lu (Deng) has been very, very effective at (power forward). And Carlos can go to (center) some.'”