CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy isn't sure exactly when he will see the floor again after undergoing back surgery on Friday.
The Bulls listed his recovery time at 8-10 weeks, but the veteran shooter admitted Monday that he isn't sure how his body will respond.
"Obviously I was disappointed to have to get this surgery," Dunleavy said. "As far as the time frame, I think they released to you guys 8-10 weeks. I really don't have a time frame on it. I'm coming back when I feel good enough, the doctors have cleared me, I have no idea. Hopefully, that will be this season. But I'm not looking at it week by week or anything like that, it's going to be a process. I can't skip the steps. I have to listen to what [the doctors] say, follow through and all that and I'll be back when I get back."
When asked to clarify the timeline, Dunleavy reaffirmed that he isn't sure exactly when he will return, but sounds hopeful he will return in the near future.
"I don't have a set amount of time in my head that I want to get back. I haven't broken out the schedule and said, 'OK, eight weeks from this Friday is this game, I want to be back for this game. You just can't do it that way. We've gone over kind of a general schedule. It starts off with doing nothing for a while, unfortunately, so I got to take my time with it.
"There is an issue with recurrence with these types of things. So it's just all about being safe about it, taking the proper steps, and hopefully being back sooner than later. But to put an absolute date on it, or if I'm not back in 8-10 weeks, it's not going to be the end of the world."
Meanwhile, power forward Taj Gibson is hopeful to be back on the floor for the regular-season opener on Oct. 27 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bulls general manager Gar Forman said the Bulls would be cautious with Gibson during training camp after the veteran had surgery on his left ankle in June.
"I hope so," Gibson said, when asked about possibility of playing in first regular-season game. "I've been feeling good the last couple weeks. Just getting back in game shape. I really haven't been able to run for three months, so these last couple weeks have been really tough, but it's been a learning process and just taking it slow."
Aside from Dunleavy and Gibson, Forman also noted that no other player will have a minutes restriction to start the season.