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Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah will be held out of all basketball-related activities for about a week in hopes that the rest will clear up his lingering groin strain.
"He still has a little bit of soreness," coach Tom Thibodeau said Friday before the Bulls played the Indiana Pacers in a preseason game. "We want to make sure he's completely healed before we move on. We don't want him to re-injure it. We want him to rehab and focus on getting healthy."
Noah was injured early in training camp and missed the Bulls' first three preseason games before playing 19 minutes Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons.
Afterward, he said he felt "great," but the soreness in the groin returned on Thursday.
"I want to be out there," Noah said. "We're looking good. But I've got to be healthy. It sucks, especially this early in the season, but it is what it is and I'll just get back as soon as I can."
If Noah does sit out exactly a week, that would give him four days to get in playing shape before the team's regular-season opener against the Miami Heat on Oct. 29. Noah said that would be enough time for him to be ready, but Thibodeau was noncommittal.
Cavs' Bynum 'close' to practicing
Cavaliers center Andrew Bynum has been playing in 3-on-3 games and is "close" to practicing with his new team.
Bynum, who did not play last season for Philadelphia because of knee injuries and surgeries, has made good progress and Cleveland coach Mike Brown said the 7-foot-center could begin practicing with the Cavaliers in the near future. Brown said Bynum looked good in half-court workouts this week and has been impressed by the former All-Star's work ethic.
Bynum signed a two-year, $25 million contract with the Cavs in July. Only one year of the deal is guaranteed.