Bulls to Lose Noah for 8-10 Weeks

When Carlos Boozer broke his fifth metacarpal bone, Bulls fans learned more than they'd hoped to about the skeletal structure of the hand. Now, it's the ligaments we need to familiarize ourselves with as Joakim Noah will require surgery to repair torn ulnar ligament in his right thumb that will force him to miss eight to ten weeks of action. Noah's injury is the same as the one Kirk Hinrich suffered in the 2008-09 season where he missed nine weeks.

Noah injured the thumb against Sacramento on November 27 and re-aggravated it a week later against Houston. He's been playing through the pain since, before ultimately deciding to go under the knife. In last night's game against Toronto, he scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, even as word of his surgery began to leak in the media. After the game, the decision was announced officially. Said Noah, "It sucks. 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."

The surgery comes just two weeks since the Bulls returned to full strength following Boozer's debut in the line-up. After loses in their first two games with Boozer, the Bulls have won seven straight and look to be among the Eastern Conference's top teams. Can they continue to play at this high level without their star center? Noah was fifth in the league with 11.7 rebounds -- a number that had declined noticeably after his injury -- and averaging 14 points per game. He looked to have a good shot at making the All-Star team this season. Now, the Bulls just hope to have Noah back and the team at full strength for the final push at the end of the season. By opting for surgery now, at least Noah will be back for the playoffs.