Bulls' Dunleavy frustrated but optimistic

A sprained ankle is something most everyone has experienced. Sometimes it takes a couple of days for the swelling to go down, sometimes a few weeks.

Mike Dunleavy has been out since Jan. 1 with a right-ankle injury, but he didn't twist it or step on anyone when the injury occurred in a game against Denver. That's why his long layoff has been difficult to comprehend.

"If you guys saw what (Milwaukee guard) Brandon Jennings did with his Achilles, that's pretty much what I did, but not as far back," Dunleavy said Tuesday at the Advocate Center. "The first thing I told the trainer was, 'I can't believe I didn't tear my Achilles on that.'

"And then we went into the other stuff that happened and it was just a major, major bruising of the front part of the ankle, ligaments and stuff were stretched or sprained. I was able to walk, so I told some people maybe I could play in the next game."

More than a month later, Dunleavy is still waiting. He ruled himself out of Wednesday's game at Houston. Beyond that, he's trying to stay optimistic.

"For the last month, it's been every three or four days, 'I think I might be able to play soon,' " he said. "I can do a lot of stuff, but I can't run."

Before the season, probably no one would have picked Dunleavy as the least expendable Bull. But in many ways, the team's inconsistent play and poor defense began when the 6-foot-10 veteran left the lineup.

Since Dunleavy was hurt, the Bulls have gone 7-9. When he played, they were 23-10.

There are significant differences in several statistical categories. Since Dunleavy was hurt, the Bulls' field-goal percentage has dropped from 45.1 percent to 42.6, Their 3-point percentage dipped from 36.7 to 33.9.

Dunleavy was at 41.7 percent from 3-point range this season. Having a respected long-range shooter on the floor seems to be a vital to the Bulls' offense running well. Some of their best games without Dunleavy have come when rookie Nikola Mirotic has played well at small forward.

The defense also has slipped since Jan. 1. The Bulls' defensive field-goal percentage has gone from 43.2 to 46.4, while their points allowed has risen from 98.5 per game to 102.9.

Dunleavy isn't a great individual defender, but he must have been doing something right. He is a smart veteran who puts himself in the right spots and was one of the best on the team at taking charges.

"He does a little bit of everything, and he does it well," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He can shoot, pass. His team defense is excellent. He's got a good understanding of the game."

Dunleavy said he can walk, shoot, ride the stationary bike and move laterally without much pain. It's the full-court sprint he can't do yet.

Asked if it makes sense to shut things down through the all-star break and point to a Feb. 20 return at Detroit, Dunleavy didn't want to limit himself.

"That may be what ends up happening, but I hope not," he said. "I want to play, whether that's the game before the all-star break, whether that's this weekend, I want to play as soon as I can.

"I hate not being out there, I feel very guilty about it. But it is what it is. The decision has been made for me."

Until this injury, Dunleavy had played in every game since joining the Bulls before last season. He talked about the frustration of watching the team struggle at times, but all he can do about it now is aggressively try to rehab the ankle.

"I feel like my foot's going to have frostbite soon, I've been icing it so much," he said. "Been doing a lot of things, but, quite honestly, a lot of it is just time. Time heals and that's the mentality, so it's a matter of patience and letting the calendar play out."

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