Bulls' Noah separates left shoulder vs. Mavericks

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah left Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks with a separated shoulder, and did not return.

Noah got tangled up with Mavericks center JaVale McGee while going for a rebound early in the second quarter. He immediately ran to the locker room favoring his left shoulder, which appeared to have popped out of its socket.

The loss of Noah for a potentially extended period of time has significant ramifications for both the team and player himself.

For Noah, the chances of him being able to return to the team and provide his usual energetic contributions seems bleak at best - the 30-year-old recently missed nine consecutive games after tearing his left shoulder, and this latest injury has the potential to hamper his playing prospects for the remainder of the season.

The ninth pick in the 2007 draft has seen his scoring average dip drastically in 2015-16 - his 4.4 points are a career low - and despite his valuable nine rebounds and one block per game, the defensive prowess which made him a two-time All-Defensive first team member and Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 is no longer what it once was.

Related: Joakim Noah's struggles continue in return from shoulder injury

Recent reports claimed Noah has been displeased with his reduced role in new Bulls bench boss Fred Hoiberg's system.

The Bulls, who performed more efficiently as a team in Noah's absence earlier in the season, have been rumored to be looking to move Noah in a potential trade, and another significant injury to their big man would present a sizable obstacle should the team be interested in unloading Noah's expiring contract.

Regardless, the sound Noah's shoulder made when it popped out of its socket Friday night likely reverberated throughout the halls of the United Center and the Bulls front office.