NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls will have Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball in the building for their game in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The two players have been out West rehabbing their respective injuries. Zach LaVine opted for season-ending foot surgery in early February. Meanwhile, Ball has remained off the floor since January of 2022. The guard has undergone multiple knee surgeries, including a cartilage transplant. Due to this, Chicago ruled Ball out for the entirety of the 2023-24 season before it even began.
With the Bulls in Los Angeles for a matchup against the Clippers, however, Ball and LaVine will briefly rejoin their teammates. Billy Donovan shared the news with the media a little over an hour before tip-off, per NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.
Lonzo Ball Progressing?
Billy Donovan was able to offer reporters a little update on Ball’s rehab activity. The last time thing we heard about the point guard was that he was still not able to sprint. A report from the Chicago Sun-Times also indicated that the Bulls’ were having “even more concerns” about where Ball stood in his recovery process.
Fast forward to today, and Ball has finally taken a new step forward. Donovan shared that the guard has started to work on some cutting, sprinting, and jumping.
“I know we talked about last time some of the workouts had been I think really really positive in terms of running, cutting, jumping, doing those things. So he’s progressed into that – responded well,” Donovan said before Saturday’s game (video via Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune). “Some of the things that the medical guys have shown me, he looks good moving. So just really really happy for him personally for his progress and where he is at. He’s worked hard to put himself in this situation.”
Now, as always, we have to take this information with a grain of salt. Let’s not forget that Ball has a significant uphill battle ahead of him. While there is no denying this is an encouraging next step, there is also no denying that major questions remain about his ability to return fully to the floor. Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times even noted that there is “no timetable or plan” for Ball to begin basketball activity yet this summer.
Regardless, this feels like a huge win for his personal journey. It wasn’t too long ago that Ball spoke about everyday activities causing him discomfort, so I couldn’t be happier that this appears to be a thing of the past.
