NEWSLETTER
Bulls fans have waited since January for good news about Lonzo Ball.
The 24-year-old point guard was initially expected to miss just six-to-eight weeks after receiving surgery on his torn meniscus. Fast forward to today, however, and Ball is still working his way back onto the basketball court.
The most recent report we got from the Bulls organization came from Arturas Karnisovas during Summer League. While he did use the word “progress” to describe Ball’s summer, he did state that Ball wasn’t moving at the speed the franchise would like. NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson also chimed in, reporting that Ball’s rehab has continued to go through starts and stops as he experiences some discomfort.
We also can’t forget the Goran Dragic signing that surprised us in free agency. It’s hard not to think the Bulls’ willingness to add another player to this already-loaded backcourt could only further suggest there is real concern about Ball’s availability when the season tips off.
If one person isn’t concerned, though, it would be Ball’s outspoken father. According to David Kaplan of ESPN 1000, LaVar Ball told him that his son will soon be available: โI talked to LaVar last week,” Kaplan said on Monday’s episode of Kap & J. Hood. “He said, โheโs coming along; heโs going to be ready to go.’โ
The main reason I’m writing this post is because I want to believe LaVar. I really do. And, hey, you’d like to think someone’s father would at least have a decent idea of where his son’s health stands. Unfortunately, though, the father we’re talking about is LaVar freakin’ Ball.
Whether it be claiming he would have beaten Michael Jordan one-on-one or telling Arturas Karnisovas to build a Ball-family super team, LaVar has an expansive resume of outlandish comments. I mean, this is the same guy that also said LaVine was gone and headed to the Los Angeles Lakers. What happened two months later? The exact opposite.
So, yes, I guess it’s possible LaVar does have insight on how Lonzo’s recovery is going and has heard he’ll be ready for the start of the season. We can’t forget there are still over two months before the NBA season begins, which does mean there are still two months for Ball to get his body right. But I’m always going to take what this man says with a massive grain of salt, so here’s to hoping some kind of more reliable source provides us with a more detailed update soon.
