Ball has had several setbacks in his return to the court
Guard Lonzo Ball will have knee surgery on September 28 and be assessed again in 4-6 weeks, the Chicago Bulls announced on Wednesday afternoon. This comes after Ball’s readiness for the start of the regular season was questioned due to his ongoing knee injury from a torn meniscus last year.
Ball suffered a meniscus tear in January and was forced to sit out the remainder of the season. His comeback date was further delayed as a result of the hurdles he had when trying to increase his basketball activity while rehabbing over the winter.
This is a big setback for the Bulls, and Ball, whose NBA career has been marred by injuries, is in a terrible spot. He has played an average of 50 games each season in his five years in the league, and the most recent information indicates that he will have less playing time next year.
When Ball was healthy for the Bulls last season, he played a significant role in Chicago’s explosive start. Two months into the season, his playmaking, 3-point shooting, and tenacious defense had the Bulls atop the Eastern Conference. Even though Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso did their best to step in for Ball after he was injured, the Bulls were unable to replicate their early-season success and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round of the playoffs.
Ball is anticipated to miss the first several games of the season, thus the Bulls will have to rely on Goran Dragic, Dosunmu, and Caruso as lead guards until Ball is ready to return. The somewhat encouraging news is that Chicago will have some time to develop chemistry with whoever starts in Ball’s stead because the Bulls’ training camp opens on September 27 and the preseason begins immediately thereafter.
