Disheartening Lonzo Ball injury update is problematic for Bulls

The Chicago Bulls’ 2021-2022 season took a massive nosedive after Lonzo Ball went down with a knee injury that required surgery in January.

With Ball putting up terrific production, averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, the last thing the Chicago brass wanted to see was Ball miss extended time … especially because he was the team’s best defense, too.

Nonetheless, everyone reluctantly swallowed his injury pill and patiently waited for Ball to recover. Originally, Ball’s timetable was pegged at 6-8 weeks. However, as he attempted to ramp up his recovery process and make a return at the tail end of the year, he suffered a setback. Still, there was hope that Ball had enough time to return to the court during the postseason.

But, as the days turned to weeks and the weeks to months, it was clear that Ball simply wouldn’t have enough time to make his return. Now, with Chicago being shown the door during the postseason thanks to the Milwaukee Bucks, Ball, along with DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, will be given the keys to the Bulls’ franchise. However, following a recent disturbing report, it appears as though Ball’s time as one of Chicago’s franchise pillars is mired in uncertainty.

What’s going on with Chicago Bulls PG Lonzo Ball’s knee injury?

As first reported on Kap & J. Hood ESPN Chicago, three-plus months following Ball’s arthroscopic knee surgery, the pass-first point guard is still suffering from knee discomfort. Ball’s inability to ramp up his recovery without experiencing pain has become both alarming and disturbing for Chicago.

Currently, Bulls fans shouldn’t worry just yet. With five months remaining before the start of a new NBA season, Ball has plenty of time to rest, recover, and hit the ground running next year. Additionally, it’s not the absolutely worst thing in the world if the start of his season is delayed and Coby White needs to be used more heavily. It’s not ideal, but they can get by assuming they put together a good enough offseason.

In only his third season in the league, White went on to average 12.7 points while shooting 38.5% from 3-point land. He isn’t the floor general, orchestrator, and defender that Ball is, but he’s a far more reliable offensive weapon.

For now, the Chicago brass will continue to play the waiting game with the hopes that Ball simply recovers and returns to form. But fans can’t say they’re not at least somewhat concerned given Ball’s large contract and importance to the team’s overall success.