After almost two years without playing in an NBA game, Lonzo Ball is starting to take the next steps to get back on the court and eventually join the Chicago Bulls lineup.
Ball has not participated in basketball since Jan. 14, 2022.On that day, he suffered a meniscus injury that led to extensive and ongoing issues in his left knee. Over the past two years, he has undergone three surgeries, including a cartilage transplant in March. Ball has been ruled out for returning this season.
We are keeping up with all the news about Ball.
On Jan. 26, Ball is back on the bench, but his running activities have been postponed due to illness.
Ball joined his Bulls teammates in Los Angeles on Thursday night and sat on the bench throughout the 141-132 loss to the Lakers.
He sat beside his fellow injured teammates Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig, holding statsheets and providing gum and towels on the sideline during the second half.
Teammate DeMar DeRozan mentioned that the team tries its best to stay close with Ball while he is rehabilitating in Los Angeles. Ball is part of group chats and receives regular check-ins from various teammates. However, DeRozan expressed that it is a better feeling to meet Ball in person during visits.
DeRozan stated, "It's always great to see him. The words that he shares bring a positive and uplifting feeling, so it's good to see him whenever you're around. It's just a reminder of the kind of exceptional person he is."
Nevertheless, both Ball's reunion with his team and his recovery timeline have been postponed due to illness. He was unwell for most of the week, which prevented him from attending practices at UCLA as planned or attempting straight-ahead sprints, which is the next step in his recovery.
Coach Billy Donovan mentioned that Ball was supposed to attempt sprints by the end of January, but he has not been able to do so without experiencing pain or discomfort since January 2022.
Donovan explained, "That was the plan. That's what I had discussed with him in December when he was in town, and the hope was that in January, he would start. I do think he is jogging. He just has not sprinted and done that."
On Thursday, Ball had his first workout since falling ill. If he continues to improve, he could still attempt straight-ahead sprinting by the end of the month, but Donovan was uncertain whether it was approved by Ball's medical team.
On Jan. 22, there were no setbacks, but Ball has not started sprinting yet.
With one week remaining in January, Ball is back to running, but he has not yet sprinted on a treadmill or on the floor, as per coach Billy Donovan on Monday.
Donovan stated that Ball has had "no setbacks," which gives the Bulls hope for his progress. However, Ball's recovery exercises are still limited as his medical team aims for a slow and steady rehabilitation.
Donovan said, "He's doing a lot of agility work right now." This includes high knees, lateral shuffles, and other mobility drills. "He has not been fully cleared to sprint, but he is doing some more agility work."
Donovan mentioned he's not sure when Ball will be allowed to run. Ball will meet with the team in Los Angeles this week, staying for five days to get back in with a mix of familiar and new teammates.
Jan. 14: Two-year anniversary of Ball's last game with the Bulls
This past Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of Ball's last basketball game. During that time, the Bulls have a record of 78-87 over three seasons, winning only one playoff game.
After being ruled out for the 2023-24 season, the soonest Ball will return is the next season opener, which means he will likely go more than 1,000 days without playing in an NBA game.
Bulls fans are used to eagerly awaiting the return of a beloved star. Michael Jordan took 1,291 days off from basketball after his first retirement in 1993, coming back midway through the 1994-95 season. Derrick Rose only played 10 games in 30 months after tearing his ACL in a playoff game on April 28, 2012.
Ball isn't the first NBA player to need a yearslong recovery period before returning to the court. Klay Thompson is the most recent example of success in the NBA after a long absence due to injury. Thompson didn't play in an NBA game for 941 days after tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, then tearing his Achilles midway through recovery. He came back in January 2022 and averaged 20.4 points in the regular season and 19 points in the playoffs on his way to a fourth NBA title with the Golden State Warriors.
However, it's rare for players who spend more than 1,000 days away from the court due to injury to return at full speed. The league has many examples of this challenge.
After being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, Greg Oden was troubled by knee injuries that postponed his rookie debut by a year and then kept him out for 1,502 days until he returned in January 2014. Oden only played 23 more games before leaving the league.
A similar timeline happened to center Emeka Okafor, who was out for 1,757 days after a neck injury in 2014 before finally making his way back onto a roster with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018. He finished his NBA career after that season.
If Ball's recovery goes as planned this year, he will strive to be a new success story of injury recovery in the league this fall.
Jan. 9: Should the Bulls involve Ball in trade packages for Zach LaVine?
Trying to trade top-contract star Zach LaVine has been the primary focus for the Bulls front office since November, when the star reportedly made an initial request to explore a trade away from Chicago. With a month left before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Ball could become a potential addition to enhance trade packages centered on LaVine.
According to a report by Marc Stein, the Bulls are potentially willing to use the insurance coverage currently accompanying Ball's contract as an incentive to include in trade packages for LaVine.
Ball wouldn't provide an immediate boost to any team in a trade. He won't be able to play until this fall at the earliest, and after two years away from the game, it's impossible to predict how close to his previous form Ball will be able to return if he receives medical clearance to play.
So why would Ball be seen as an addition to trade packages? The answer boils down to the numbers.
The following season might be Ball’s final one with the Bulls. He has a $21.4 million player option for that season, which he will definitely use — without doing so, he'd be out of a contract as he tried to come back to the court, a situation he wouldn't risk even with confidence that he could fully recover.
However, until Ball gets medical clearance, the Bulls don't need to concern themselves with his contract. They got a $10.2 million player exception in the summer. And 80% of Ball’s salary is covered by the league’s insurance due to the severity and length of his injury.
Trading Ball would also involve moving these injury exceptions. For a team aiming to reduce a significant amount from its payroll, this could be a good deal — especially if that front office is optimistic about Ball’s potential to bounce back from a 2-plus-year break.
But there are downsides to parting ways with Ball. Despite reports of trade interest in DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls front office doesn't seem interested in moving multiple major pieces simultaneously. Making that trade would essentially mean giving up on a lengthy process that has kept the franchise hopeful about what a full return to health would mean for both Ball and the Bulls.
In the end, this move is uncharacteristic for the Bulls front office. However, it's an intriguing consideration to keep an eye on, particularly if the Bulls start to make moves in the next three weeks as they try to find a trade destination for LaVine.
Dec. 28: Ball set to start running in January
It's expected that Lonzo Ball will begin running again in January as the next phase of his nearly two-year recovery from a knee injury.
Ball came back to Chicago last week to meet with Bulls staff and outline a plan for the next steps of his recovery after having a rare cartilage transplant in March.
The Bulls don't expect him to return to the court in a game until the 2024-25 season. However, coach Billy Donovan mentioned that the team has been encouraged by Ball’s response to his third knee procedure.
Ball has been able to make progress with weight and mobility training and stationary shooting while recuperating in Los Angeles over the last six months. Most importantly, Donovan stated that Ball is free of pain at this stage in his recovery after enduring chronic pain in daily activities for the first year after the injury.
“He’s handled everything they’ve done to help him progress very well,” Donovan said. “The pain that was causing the setback has been eliminated in what he’s doing now — but he hasn't run. The next step for him will be to start running, and that will happen in January.”
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