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Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images Bulls center Joakim Noah's breakthrough season will be interrupted for three more weeks because of plantar fasciitis.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The news that Joakim Noah is being shut down for at least three weeks shouldn't come as much of a surprise at all. The plantar fasciitis in his left foot has been killing him for a while. The Bulls know that they will have absolutely no chance in any playoff series without him and there is little doubt that they will continue to give him all the therapy and treatment they possibly can so that he can get back on the floor when it matters most.

"I got to play healthy," he said before Monday night's game. "I'm not healthy right now, and I probably won't play healthy until the end of the season. I won't be 100 percent, but at least I'll be able to play when it matters. That's the goal."

Although the Bulls will most certainly struggle in the short term, this was still the right decision to make.

Noah's foot simply can't withstand the grind of NBA action right now. The Bulls know that the best course of action with this type of injury is rest, but it's still unclear whether three weeks will be enough for him.

"It's a very difficult injury," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said after practice on Wednesday. "It's very difficult to treat. He might rest for three weeks, he might rest for two months and come back and it's still bothering him. Rest will help usually, no question. But he's got to come back, fight through the pain. We'll give him a few weeks and hopefully he reacts better to that sooner. But that's the plan right now."

With a tough upcoming stretch in which eight of the Bulls' next 10 opponents own a .500 or above record, they were going to struggle regardless, considering all the other injuries they've been dealing with.

But with Noah now officially out, they could fall right out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture if they aren't careful.

"I don't know if you do replace him," Del Negro said. "He's the second-leading rebounder in the whole NBA. And he brings a lot of energy, a great spirit to the game for us. Gets us up possessions. Gets us out on the break. His offense has been developing all year and his development overall has been [good]. It's a big loss, but other guys have to step up, and we're going to have to manage it.

"The biggest concern is rebounding the basketball. When we play bigger front lines, not having his length back there is an issue. Like I said, other guys have to step up and play well. And other guys have to pick their performance up until he gets back."

Del Negro understands that he will have to keep his team's spirits up while their emotional leader is out.

"There's no time to be down," he said. "We're in a tight race right now. You can't use any excuses. You have to just go play who's healthy and give it your best and play your hardest. And find ways to get some wins. We're playing some tough teams now. It's a difficult time to lose anybody, but especially your starting center.

"Hopefully, the rest of the guys can stay healthy and the rest of the guys can pick it up, and we can find ways to get some wins. And stay in the thick of the playoff race."

Whether the Bulls stay in the race or not, though, it's tough to argue with the decision that was made on Wednesday. Noah is far too important to the franchise to risk him doing anything else to hurt himself this season. That's why unless Noah feels significantly better three weeks from now, it also shouldn't surprise anyone if the team decides to shut him down for the rest of the season.