The Chicago Bulls have been without Lonzo Ball in the lineup since Jan. 14 in part of the team’s 138-96 loss to the Golden State Warriors. He signed a four-year, $85 million contract in the NBA offseason and was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans using a sign-and-trade.
Ball has been limited to just 35 regular-season appearances and has averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals in 34.6 minutes per game.
The latest update about Ball’s recovery offered a bleak outlook for his chances of making a return to the Chicago Bulls lineup for the 2022 NBA playoffs.
“I would imagine in the next day or two we’ll probably have a little bit more once everybody sits down and talks,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said on Tuesday. “It’s disappointing from the standpoint you were hoping that the time he had off would help maybe propel him going forward to do a little bit more. But that certainly hasn’t been the case.”
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Further reporting from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated there is “increasing pessimism” that Ball will return to the lineup this season. There is a meeting between his representation and the Bulls in the coming days to decide.
“After another setback, while ramping up the rehab of his left knee, there is increasing pessimism that Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball will return to the lineup this season, sources told ESPN’s, Adrian Wojnarowski.
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“No final decision has been made, but a meeting in the coming days that is expected to include Bulls officials and Ball’s representatives at Klutch Sports is increasingly likely to culminate with shutting down Ball for the rest of the season, sources said.”
Entering Tuesday’s matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bulls hold a 45-33 record and seek to avoid slipping to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
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The Chicago Bulls will need all of their help in the 2022 NBA playoffs. After earlier success in the season, the team has lost footing in the Eastern Conference standings and appears to be a threat to getting eliminated in the first round.
