The Chicago Bulls have been without Lonzo Ball for so long, it’s almost become easy to forget just how good they were with their floor general in the first place. Fortunately, Chicago may not be forced to suffer his absence for much longer, at least if the latest updates are to be believed.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has recently provided an update on Lonzo’s injury status, indicating his range of motion has significantly increased since the last time we heard from him. If he keeps this up, it’s possible Ball could resume non-physical on-court activities much sooner than expected.
Lonzo Ball has jumped “a little bit” while shooting and done light jogging, Billy Donovan says. He’s doing a little more physically than last time Donovan provided an update.
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) December 30, 2022
It seems Lonzo Ball is finally making tangible progress toward returning to the court for the Chicago Bulls.
Now, Billy Donovan has clearly opted to choose his words carefully, and it’s easy to understand why. Considering how many setbacks Lonzo has faced thus far and how rabid the fanbase is to see him back out on the court, it’s a smart move to not over-promise and risk upsetting Bulls fans even more.
But make no mistake, this is a huge development on Ball’s behalf. Just a month ago, we were receiving reports that Ball still could not run without significant pain and was restricted to exercise in the pool. Now, he’s apparently jogging and comfortable enough to shoot the ball and land on his feet, that’s tremendous progress.
There’s still no guarantee that Ball will actually be able to suit up again by the end of this season, but honestly, that’s not even my concern right now. With the way things were looking, we were reaching a point where many — myself included — were worried about if he’d ever even be able to play basketball again. Whether or not our fears were justified or simply a result of a lifetime of injured Bulls point guards matters little in the end, as Chicago has financially locked in on Lonzo long-term so we’re on this ride for the long haul whether we like it or not.
What’s important here is that Lonzo finally seems on a positive trajectory to eventually return to the court. If it doesn’t happen until next season, great. If it happens in time for the playoffs, even better. We may not know how close he is to returning, but what we do know is that the Chicago Bulls are a much better basketball team with Ball on the court. So however long it takes, we’ll be willing to wait it out. Fortunately, there may finally be some light at the end of the tunnel for Lonzo’s long road to recovery.