Can Dunleavy help fix what's wrong with Chicago Bulls?

The Chicago Bulls' season has been teetering on the edge of success and failure for several months.

Monday's game at Utah captured everything that's right and wrong about these Bulls in the span of 10 minutes.

We can start midway in the fourth quarter, when a surge by Jimmy Butler sent the Bulls into the lead. During the final five minutes, though, the Bulls took the lead five times and failed to build on it.

Still, a victory seemed secure when Derrick Rose, off a pass from Butler, drained a 3-pointer with 18.5 seconds left. Rose even took a bow at midcourt, feeling good about his team's 3-point lead.

Of course, the Bulls couldn't sustain success. After a foul, they couldn't rebound a missed free throw, and Utah's Gordon Hayward tied the score on a driving layup with 4.8 seconds left.

In overtime, the Bulls committed 3 straight turnovers and fell behind as Butler (46 minutes) looked too exhausted to save the day. The Bulls lost 105-96 and have dropped nine of their last 13 games.

A few weeks ago, the Bulls were 10 games over .500 and seemed to be riding the fast lane to a top-two seed in the East. Now they're 26-21 and have fallen into a tie for fifth place.

“I don't worry about the tough, close losses,” Pau Gasol told reporters after the Utah game. “Whenever you bring the competitiveness, the effort, the energy, the sense of urgency — I am OK with that. I am OK with losing an overtime game.

“I'm not so OK with losing six or seven or eight games at home against teams that have a worse record than we do.”

Gasol has a point, but the bottom line is no one expected the Bulls to be reeling like this. In desperate need for some hope, coach Fred Hoiberg has consistently played up Mike Dunleavy's value to the team.

Dunleavy officially was sent on a D-League assignment Monday. The plan is for him to spend two days practicing with the Santa Clara Warriors but not play in any games.

Nothing is set in stone, but if all goes well for Dunleavy at Santa Clara, there's a chance he could play for the Bulls as soon as Friday in Denver.

One obvious question lingers: Can Dunleavy's return actually help the Bulls? The veteran forward has yet to play this season while recovering from back surgery.

Expect no miracles. At 35, Dunleavy is not going to be a big scorer and his durability will be limited, at least in the beginning.

But small forward has been a huge problem for the Bulls all season.

Tony Snell was given every opportunity to win the starting job and failed. Snell is averaging just 5.6 points.

Early in the season, he was top ten in the league in 3-point percentage. During January, he shot just 23.1 percent from 3-point range and the lack of confidence seemed to keep growing.

There have been a few nights when Snell turned into a capable scorer, but those performances have been too few to feel any optimism about his future.

Doug McDermott appears to have the scoring skills to become a valuable player. But he's also inconsistent, and when his shot is going, opponents often try to get him out of the game by repeatedly isolating him on defense.

When that happens, Hoiberg tends to take the bait and bring McDermott back to the bench.

Nikola Mirotic started 13 games at small forward. That move had mixed results, but now Mirotic is sidelined for a few weeks after having his appendix removed.

Meanwhile, Hoiberg has turned to a fourth option, 6-foot-4 E'Twaun Moore, at small forward.

So when Dunleavy comes back, the primary benefit will be to stabilize the small-forward position. Maybe the Bulls' bench strength will improve, especially when Mirotic returns.

Dunleavy figures to be a more reliable scorer than Snell. Last season the veteran forward averaged 9.4 points and shot 40 percent from 3-point land. The Bulls have been asking for a floor-spacer to help give Rose and Butler room to drive.

Perhaps most important, Dunleavy should help the defense. He will never be an all-defensive team selection, but Dunleavy is a smart defender. He always will be in the right spot and may lead the team in charges taken.

While the Bulls struggle with their on-court chemistry, one dynamic that's difficult to measure is the frustration at Gasol's refusal to consistently step over and provide help defense at the basket.

It's possible Dunleavy, with a mind for team defense, will help ease the burden on Gasol.

Sometimes it's the little things that can make a difference. If all goes well, Dunleavy will help space the floor by knocking down a few 3-pointers. He will pass the ball and help facilitate the offense, which too often gets stagnant.

Then his help defense could make things easier on his teammates, especially Butler, who often is frustrated by teammates who don't match his defensive effort.

Will all this lead to happier teammates and more victories for the Bulls? Difficult to tell, but with things going badly, Hoiberg has little choice but to hang some hope on Dunleavy's return.

• Mirotic underwent an appendectomy last Wednesday at Rush University Medical Center, followed by a hematoma removal over the weekend.

He is resting comfortably at Rush and will be discharged within the next few days to begin his rehabilitation. A date for his return will be reassessed as he continues to recover.

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