Reports: Chicago star guard Lonzo Ball expected to return to the NBA this season after recent knee surgery, likely to miss initial months
Lonzo Ball has endured several injuries throughout his young career and is currently sidelined due to a knee injury. Although there were concerns that the Chicago Bulls star will miss the 2022-23 NBA season, reports suggest he will only miss a few months.
With Ball as the starting point guard, the Bulls were enjoying their start to the 2021-22 campaign. They were the biggest surprises in the league and were initially battling for the top spot in the East.
Unfortunately for them, things slowly started to go sideways after Ball sustained a knee injury. Although he was initially given a 6-8 week return timeline, he missed the rest of the season.
The UCLA product recently revealed that surgery was the next step after experiencing difficulty in performing daily activities. He explained that walking up the stairs was painful for him.
While things seemed bleak, Shams Charania of the Athletics provided some uplifting news. He reported that Ball will miss a few months but might return before the end of the season.
"There is confidence in Bulls guard Lonzo Ball's ability to return this season following left knee surgery on Wednesday that doctors believe addressed the issue. Ball is expected to miss at least a few months."
Sources: There is confidence in Bulls guard Lonzo Ball's ability to return this season following left knee surgery on Wednesday that doctors believe addressed the issue. Ball is expected to miss at least a few months.
How will the Chicago Bulls fare without Lonzo Ball?
Fans are frustrated that the medical team waited this long before settling on surgery for Ball's knee. Perhaps if the decision was made earlier, he would have been able to return sooner.
Nonetheless, the Bulls will have to continue without him. Head coach Billy Donovan is not dismissing the possibility of playing the entire season without the two-way guard.
After practice on Thursday, Donovan said it was difficult to ascertain a timeline for Ball's return. But the coach highlighted that everyone is optimistic and hoping he rejoins the team soon.
"You always try to stay optimistic that this will get resolved and he'll be fine. But until he gets back and gets into the situations that were causing him pain, to see how he responds in being back in those situations, we'll find out more. I don't know how long it will take before he can actually start the rehab process."
The Bulls' struggles last season started shortly after Ball became unavailable. Although he was not a high-level scorer, his ability to create, his improved 3-point shooting, and perimeter defense were outstanding.
Without Ball, Alex Caruso will likely be the starting point guard for the Bulls. Although he is just as valuable, if not more, on the defensive end, he cannot match Ball's production offensively.
Although the Bulls are not one of the favorites to win the title, they are expected to build on last year's performance. Despite their red-hot start to the season, they were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bulls will open their 2022-23 campaign on October 19 on the road against the Miami Heat.