Mike Dunleavy is back!
Or, well, almost back.
Dunleavy has yet to play this season as he rehabilitates a back injury that required surgery and included post-surgical complications. But that will all change on Saturday when the Chicago Bulls face the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical:
Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy Jr. is set to make his season debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, league sources told The Vertical.
The plan for Dunleavy to play on Saturday is dependent on him not suffering any physical setbacks between now and then. Dunleavy will travel with the Bulls to Denver for Friday’s game against the Nuggets.
It’s lit.
The Bulls need Dunleavy. They need him bad. They’re hovering around the bottom five of offensive efficiency and are only a slightly above-average three-point shooting team. And with Nikola Mirotic on the shelf, they need additional firepower now more than ever.
Dunleavy is shooting 37-plus percent from deep for his career and was even more lethal last season. He drilled more than 40 percent of his long balls and was equally efficient when firing off the catch, per NBA.com.
At 35, it’s unclear how Dunleavy’s back will respond to the daily grind of NBA basketball. But, when healthy, he’s able to hold his own against opposing 3s on defense, and the offensive potential of a Jimmy Butler-Dunleavy-Pau Gasol tricycle is freaking ridiculous.
If the Bulls intend to be a force in the playoffs, they need everything Dunleavy does. It’s that simple.
