CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls rookie Noa Essengue will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, coach Billy Donovan said pregame Wednesday.
Essengue was ruled out with what was initially labeled a left shoulder contusion following a game with Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, against the Cleveland Charge on Nov. 28. Donovan said it occurred on a rebound attempt in which his arm “jerked,” saying “he didn’t dislocate his shoulder, but he’s got some looseness and some movement in there that they need to tighten up for him or that’s gonna continue to happen.”
Donovan, without explicit details on the diagnosis or procedure necessary, said “they will do that sometime in the near future.” Donovan noted that while Essengue could likely return for stints and “be fine,” he’d risk a cycle of being sidelined again for roughly a week in between returns. Essengue received a recommendation to undergo the procedure sooner than later, so as to not delay said lingering issue.
“I talked to him the other day, (and) I felt like it would lean in that direction, but obviously he’s got final decision, and I think he has, so he’s gonna get it done,” Donovan said.
Without a precise recovery timeline, Donovan cited it could take roughly six to seven months, likening it to other shoulder procedures. Donovan estimated that once the procedure takes place, Essengue would “probably not be able to do anything (for) about six weeks.”
“The setback to me in it all is that you’d like for a guy like that, whether it was a limited situation, (to receive) minutes for us or good minutes with the G League to play,” Donovan said.
Essengue, an 18-year-old just days shy of being the league’s youngest player, played six total minutes in two total appearances for the Bulls this season after being selected with the 12th overall pick in June’s NBA Draft. Before his Nov. 11 debut versus the Washington Wizards, Essengue was the lone lottery pick who hadn’t debuted.
Dating back to the preseason, Donovan has emphasized the role strength training will play in Essengue’s potential as an eventual regular contributor and rotational player for the Bulls. Listed at 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, Donovan has expressed reluctance in playing Essengue considering his frame, and the coach’s underscoring of physicality.
Wednesday’s news is a significant setback for the rookie, not only keeping him out of the weight room for some time but keeping him away from — while scarce — the opportunities that might’ve awaited him as the Bulls endure a slew of injuries.