Chicago's rookie first-rounder needs surgery on his left shoulder, Billy Donovan announced on Wednesday.
A worrying rookie season for Bulls first-rounder Noa Essengue has just hit a major speed bump.
Head coach Billy Donovan revealed before Chicago's game against the Nets on Wednesday that Essengue would be out for the season, according to CHSN's K.C. Johnson. The 18-year-old forward apparently suffered a left shoulder injury during a G League game and will now require surgery.
Essengue's rehab and recovery is expected to take six-to-seven months, per Donovan.
The Chicago Bulls selected Essengue, who turns 19 on December 18, with the No. 12 overall pick in June's NBA Draft. The Orléans, France, native spent the last two seasons in Germany as a member of Ratiopharm Ulm before being picked by the Bulls.
Essengue's NBA career has gotten off to a rocky start in the Windy City. He was the last lottery pick from this summer to make his debut and has played just six minutes and two seconds so far. In his limited action, Essengue missed all three of his shot attempts — two from deep — and logged one steal and one personal foul. The rookie was -15 across his two appearances.
After getting sent down to the G League, Essengue looked much more comfortable. With the team's Windy City Bulls affiliate, Essengue averaged 23.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal per game on 50.8% shooting. Essengue was able to find his groove with increased playing time prior to suffering his season-ending shoulder injury.
At the G League level, the No. 12 overall pick played an average of 30.8 minutes per game over four outings.
Essengue's injury doesn't immediately impact the Bulls' outlook for this season, but it's a brutal blow for a team grasping for young talent. At 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, the forward is an intriguing project that could prove to have a high upside alongside Matas Buzelis if developed properly. However, Essengue has yet to show flashes against NBA-caliber players this season, and an injury that keeps him out for the remainder of the season deprives the rookie of his most important need: experience.
As the Bulls evaluate whether their young core is enough to fuel a rebuild, the front office will need to wait a little longer to see what it has in Essengue.
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