The Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball was a key man last season for the Bulls, his impressive run with them was crucial to their goal. Unfortunately, the Bulls were dealt with a major setback in the form of an injury to Ball. With just 35 games for the Bulls last season, for him, the season ended right after. He suffered a Meniscus tear in his left knee.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN, there has been no significant progress. Which means he won’t be available to step on the court any time soon. The best case possible is that he won’t be available before the All-Star break. Before Ball got injured, he was averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Bulls in those 35 games. The stats may not speak volumes, but it was the impact he was having on the team.
Woj: “There are no guarantees, I’m told, that [Lonzo Ball] plays at all this season. He’s rehabbing that knee now, he still has some pain in it.”#BullsNation pic.twitter.com/2pIuweg89i
— 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣’ 𝙉𝘽𝘼 (@_Talkin_NBA) December 15, 2022
The Bulls are in a decent spot at the moment in the Eastern Conference. They are sitting 11th with a record of 11 wins and 17 losses. They have a 4-6 run, they are currently on a 3-game losing streak. Ball is the only significant player who is injured for the Bulls, the rest of the team is in decent health. Javonte Green also has been nursed back to court but using him sparingly. Not taking chances in case of a relapse.
What injury did Lonzo Ball suffer?
Ball was diagnosed with a meniscus tear in his left knee on January 20, 2022. A few hours later the Chicago Bulls announced that Ball will be undergoing arthroscopic surgery, and would be back to training in 2 months. Ball went through a successful injury on January 28th, a video was released which showed Ball training with the team. The Bulls then announced on March 21 that Ball will be out for the rest of the season.
“I really can’t run or jump. Until I can do those things, I can’t play.”
Lonzo Ball gave an update on his rehab and why surgery was the only choice left pic.twitter.com/lk1JXYDkMI
— Sporting News NBA (@sn_nba) September 27, 2022
At the moment there is no solid timeline that would provide information about his return. Ball was believed to be experiencing pain during certain movements while playing basketball. Even in early September way before the 2022-23 season was about to commence, he was pulled out from training. Chicago Bulls insider K.C. Johnson stated that it was the bruise on the bone that aggregated the meniscus tear. It is the main reason Ball’s rehab has been held back.
Ball is expected to play this season but he will be missing out on a huge chunk of time. The Bulls star is expected to miss a few months before he is up to his full health and hitting the ground running again.
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