Joakim Noah: Out 4-6 months

Noah has been diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder that will require surgery and sideline him for four-to-six months, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Analysis:

This is crushing news for Noah, who initially sprained his shoulder on Dec. 21 and re-injured it Friday against Dallas. The recovery timetable for Noah's injury puts his season in serious jeopardy, even if the Bulls do reach the playoffs. The Bulls do have some options in the frontcourt to cushion the blow of Noah's absence, with veterans Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson and young bigs Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic all at their disposal. Still, Noah's ability to facilitate and generate open looks for his teammates will be sorely missed for the foreseeable future.