It has been a long time since we saw Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball on the court in an NBA game. The last time he played was on January 14th, 2022 against the Golden State Warriors.
Ball has been sidelined since because of a balky knee. When the injury first occurred, it was thought to be a meniscus injury that would keep him sidelined for a few weeks. But, doctors have been unable to pinpoint exactly what is wrong, which has led to the lengthy absence.
The No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of UCLA missed the remainder of that year and the entire 2022-23 season. He has already been announced out for the 2023-24 season as well, but it is fair to wonder whether or not we will ever see Ball back in the NBA as a player.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Lonzo Ball & Chicago Bulls Updates
Based on a recent update from Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, things don’t sound to be going great in Ball’s rehab. While Donovan stopped short of saying Ball had a setback, a positive picture wasn’t painted by his recent comments.
“I don’t know if he’s stuck,” Donovan said, via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “He is doing some shooting, some running, some jumping. He hasn’t done any sprinting yet, that I know.
“They talked about that, and [sprinting] was kind of a goal, a set point. I do think the one thing that has been a priority right now, so he does not get set back, is he needs to develop more strength in his leg,” Donovan said. “Because of him having that surgery and being off his leg so long, before he’s really able to ramp up, I think they want him to get to a place physically that relates to his quad strength. I don’t want to say it’s a holdup, but that’s where they want to get him to. In terms of what he’s doing, he feels better.”
When Ball was injured, he was 24 years old. The soonest he will get back on the court is the start of the 2024-25 season, which he will be 27 years old during, to put into perspective just how much of his career has been taken away by this knee injury.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Lonzo Ball & Chicago Bulls Updates
With Ball in the lineup, the Bulls looked like a team ready to ascend the standings in the Eastern Conference. In his first season in Chicago, they were 22-13 when he played, having one of the better records in the league.
Without him in the mix, Chicago has struggled to stay in the mix for even a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Ball was key to their success on both ends of the floor as an ace defender at the point of attack and excellent playmaker and improving shooting offensively.
Hopefully, he is able to get back onto the court at some point in the future. But, being unable to sprint even after several surgeries and time to rehab certainly isn’t an encouraging sign.
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