MIAMI -- Chicago Bulls rookie Doug McDermott is expected to miss at least four to six weeks, after he had arthroscopic right knee surgery Saturday.
"The surgery went well. Now he has to begin the rehab," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said before Sunday's game against the Miami Heat. "So just be patient. Let him work his way through it."
McDermott has not played in the two weeks since his knee swelled up after the Bulls' 15-day road trip in late November.
"It was something minor with the knee," Thibodeau said. "I don't know exactly what it was, and we were trying to see if we could handle it with just treatment, and it just seemed like the smart thing to do was just go in there and clean it up. So that's what we did, and I think it went well, and we'll go from there."
McDermott, whom the Bulls traded for on draft night, has struggled in his first NBA season. The Creighton product is averaging just 3.2 points a game this season and has had difficulty finding consistent minutes in Thibodeau's rotation. The veteran coach remains hopeful McDermott will be able to produce later in the year and is confident he will attack his rehab.
"He'll be great," Thibodeau said. "All our rookies, their mental approach has been terrific. Like any injury, there's initial disappointment. But he knows he's got to focus on the rehab, take it day by day, just concentrate on the improvement, keep learning. He's really engaged. He's a great kid. It will work out."
On another injury-related note, Bulls center Joakim Noah will miss his third straight game, as he continues to recover from lingering ankle and knee injuries. Thibodeau was noncommittal regarding Noah's chances to play Monday night in Atlanta.
"We'll see," Thibodeau said. "He did more [Saturday]. He's making some progress. We'll see where he is [Monday]."