NEWSLETTER
A couple of days after ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Jamal Collier broke the news that Lonzo Ball was “doubtful” for the start of the regular season, Shelburne has strengthened her terminology.
Stopping by NBA Today on Wednesday, Shelburne spoke about Ball’s offseason, reiterating that he’s struggled to regain full health in the knee he had surgery on back in January. Ball’s lingering pain is expected to have him miss training camp, and now Shelburne is saying that there isn’t even a slim chance that Ball makes his return when the season opens on Oct. 19 against Miami.
“They thought they were going to have Lonzo Ball back,” Shelburne said. “But, from what I’m told, he is going to miss training camp and the beginning of the regular season because of that knee he had surgery on in January
…
He’s in Chicago right now. They’re looking at him, they’re going to do a separate evaluation and decide how long they think he’s going to be out or at least get some kind of plan for him coming back.”
If we’re begging for a bright side, I guess it’s good news that Ball is back in the Chicagoland area where the Bulls’ doctors can fully monitor his progress. If he’s already back working out at the Advocate Center, there is little reason we shouldn’t receive a more comprehensive update when training camp opens later this month.
Still, no matter how you spin it, the Ball news has only gotten worse. While taking the long road may be the best approach for the organization long-term, not having any idea of when Ball might make his return is extremely discouraging. We all know how important he can be to the team’s two-way success, and the fact of the matter is (and I’ve written this a ton) that we will not see the Bulls play their best basketball until he is on the floor. Simple as that.
You can listen to Shelburne’s full report below:
At least Dragic looks like he has some good games left in the tank …
