NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls seriously concerned about star guard's knee as he continues rehabilitation post surgery
The Chicago Bulls are rumored to be concerned about Lonzo Ball still having pain in his knee after his surgery in January.
Chicago Bulls have “serious concerns” about Lonzo Ball’s knee
As reported by David Kaplan, a sports analyst for NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls are apparently taking the Lonzo Ball situation quite seriously. There have been reports on the ESPN Chicago podcast that Ball’s knee injury is not getting better as he still has pain whenever he pushes himself.
The reports can be seen outlined in the tweet by a Chicago sports reporter below:
According to @thekapman:
1) There’s serious concerns within the Chicago Bulls front office about Lonzo Ball's knee.
2) Lonzo's knee is not getting better and the Bulls front office is concerned about why he still has pain anytime he tries to ramp it up.
(Via @ESPN1000)
The Chicago Bulls standout guard was initially diagnosed with a knee bruise. After being evaluated again, it was found that Ball had suffered a torn meniscus and would have to undergo surgery on Jan. 28.
After receiving a six- to eight-week timeline for his return, Ball was ruled out for the rest of the season by Chicago. Recently, he was reported as attempting to ramp up his rehab process when his pain started again.
The Chicago Bulls’ medical staff then came to the decision to shut down his training and bring him back a phase in his rehab.
Before being injured, Ball was averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists during his first season for the Bulls. Ball was a large part of the backend in Chicago, where he was missed by Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan.
The Chicago Bulls had a 27-12 record this season before Ball’s injury and then went 18-22 without Ball. Chicago (46-36) finished in sixth place and clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 2017, due in part to Ball’s effort.
The Bulls acquired Ball on Aug. 8 in a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for a four-year, $80 million deal. Lonzo has contributed on the court for each team he has played for, yet his health has remained an issue. The amount of attention the Bulls are putting on his injury shows the energy of an organization that wishes to keep the still young star for their future.
With DeRozan and lavine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Zach LaVine running the floor for the Bulls, the squad should remain in good standings even if Ball continues to have problems with his injury.
DeRozan had a breakout season this year, averaging 27.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 4.9 apg.
LaVine, on the other hand, also had a wonderful season, averaging 24.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 4.5 apg.
With the pair combining for over 50 points a game while deploying the defense that Chicago has, the team still stood tall. They may not be an entire unit without Ball, but the Chicago front office should not be too worried about Ball's injury. Even if he needs extra time in rehab, there are still many months before the next season.