After sounding optimistic about Lonzo Ball‘s rehabilitation process at the beginning of November, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan struck a different tone on Wednesday evening, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.
“It’s been really slow,” Donovan said. “I’m just being honest.”
Ball underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his left knee at the end of September and was set to be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. Today marks nine weeks since the surgery was performed, but there’s still no clarity on when he might make his 2022/23 season debut.
Donovan said that Ball “has not necessarily suffered a setback,” according to Schaefer, but he’s “not even close” to resuming contact or on-court work.
“He’s working through more and more. But it’s not like I can give you any report, ‘Hey, he’s running, he’s cutting, he’s jumping, he’s doing individual skill work, the next step is we’ve got to get him some contact.’ To be honest with you we’re not even close to that,” Donovan said.
“Him working through the pain he was experiencing before, there has been improvement in that area, but they’re also trying to continue to build up strength because of the lack of time he’s had, so to speak, training. They’re constantly, like, all hands on deck, everyone is evaluating. There’s a lot of people that are involved in trying to help him.”
As Schaefer notes, “everyone” includes Chicago’s medical staff as well as specialists in Los Angeles, where both of Ball’s recent surgeries were performed. He missed the team’s final 42 games of the ’21/22 regular season after undergoing left meniscus surgery in January.
Ball last played on January 14 and obviously has yet to play this season.
One noteworthy point from Donovan’s aforementioned answer is that Ball is still experiencing pain, though he’s shown “improvement.” The coach later expanded on that, per Schaefer.
“He is better after the surgery, I will say that, but is he completely pain-free? No, and that’s what they’re working towards,” Donovan said. “Or, at least, if he does have some pain, he’s able to play through some of it, work through some of it. All these guys are dealing with pain as the season goes on in some form of it. But for him it’s the pain that has [prevented him from] getting back to playing.”
The Bulls were the No. 1 seed in the East at the time Ball was injured last season, holding a 27-13 record. They went just 19-23 the rest of the way and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Bucks.
Chicago has certainly missed Ball’s defense, long-range shooting, and ability to push the pace in transition. The Bulls have had a rocky start to the ’22/23 season, currently holding a 9-11 record.
Imagine if the Lakers had just drafted Tatum…
They would have traded him, because LeBron would have said he couldn’t win with him.
He was definitely a name the pelicans were trying to get when AD was available.
Oh I absolutely remember. I’m a Celtics fan and I was praying they wouldn’t trade him for A.D.
Imagine being Philly and giving a first rounder to pass on Tatum.
What did he have surgery on in september? Another meniscus procedure? Hopefully its just a rehab & conditioning thing for now. Donovan definitely seemed exhausted with the question, and frustrated with Lonzo’s recovery period.
Bulls medical staff is terrible. Ask Luol Deng. Ask Derrick Rose.
Lonzo may not play this season. Let that sink in. 2 surgeries and he still isn’t right.
They need to make some moves and reconfigure this roster with a focus on the future. This ‘window’ never opened.
It’s been what, seven years since Deng and 6 for Rose? I would think that the medical staff has turned over just a bit by nowl
Chicago’s entire medical staff changed two years ago when the new regime took over. Not for better results though.
Thanks Doctor
Ball had his own Doctors do both procedures. The Bulls let them. So the only dumb thing they did was agree, so now if it goes completely bad they won’t get their money back.
This has Brandon Roy written all over it.
The Bulls never should’ve signed him.
Just trade the guy for a capable PG from a team in the race to the bottom then make a push.
Huge unlikely idea would be for SGA, a package centred around a player they wont need to play this year but is a top 2-way pass first guard to couple with Giddey and Holmgren next year. And the opportunity to tank yet again. (Without SGA OKC will be bottom 2)
It’s win win, Bulls get their new star to go with Lavine, Demar. OKC get an excuse to tank, and probably a lot more picks and more with SGA value sky high.
he’s cooked