Bulls shut down Joakim Noah after groin strain

Joakim Noah was shut down after experiencing soreness in his strained groin. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls have shut down center Joakim Noah for the next week as he continues to work to rehab a strained groin.

Noah did play 20 minutes in a preseason game Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. That was his first action of the preseason.

"We're going to shut Jo down,"  Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Friday. "He's got a little soreness, so we want to make sure we get that taken care of. Probably another week or so, but we just want to make sure he's completely healthy before we move forward."

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Thibodeau said the injury is improving but he is still not healthy and didn't want to risk further injury. The Bulls open the season in Miami against the Heat on Oct. 29.

"It's better, but it's not where we'd like it to be," Thibodeau said. "We want it completely healthy where he's doesn't feel it, and right now he's still feels it, so we got to take care of that.