It's been quite a while since Lonzo Ball last took the court. The 6-foot-6 combo guard has been on the mend with a wrist sprain since March 2. Ball has missed 16 consecutive games, encompassing all of March, where the Chicago Bulls went 9-6 and ranked 15th in the association net rating.
Amid Ball's absence, the Bulls lost two more guards, Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones, for extended periods. Dosunmu had been dealing with a lingering shoulder injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery. Jones, who had joined the starting lineup following the injuries to Ball and Dosunmu, suffered a midfoot sprain on March 20, forcing the former San Antonio Spur to miss at least two weeks of action.
Despite missing numerous guards to injury, the Bulls' backcourt didn't miss a beat. Coby White won Eastern Conference Player of the Month in March. The 25-year-old averaged 27.7 points, recording a true shooting percentage of 63.2. Josh Giddey averaged a near triple-double in March, putting up 20.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per contest.
Missing Ball, Dosunmu, and Jones, Head Coach Billy Donovan has increased Kevin Huerter's minutes (33.5 per game in March) and has recently trotted out end-of-the-rotation guards, Jevon Carter and Talen Horton-Tucker. The latter two have only appeared in one and two games, respectively, over Chicago's last five. However, Carter scored 17 in his lone appearance, while Horton-Tucker has combined for 43 points in his previous two contests.
Lonzo Ball should be back in the lineup on April 4, or April 6 at the latest
The Bulls' depth has paid off. Chicago routinely runs 11-deep, with players such as Carter and Horton-Tucker ready to make an impact at a moment's notice. Nonetheless, of the three injured guards, Ball is nearing a return—which could come as soon as Chicago's April 4 clash with the Portland Trail Blazers.
After being ruled out for almost every game in March, Ball's status was upgraded to questionable ahead of Chicago's bout against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 27. Even though he was hit with a questionable diagnosis, Ball didn't suit up as Chicago took on Los Angeles. His status was then downgraded to doubtful for the Bulls' next three games.
What leads us to believe Ball could make his return is not only his injury diagnosis, which reverted to questionable, but also shared sentiment from Donovan and Ball himself. On April 1, the head coach stated that there is "mild optimism" Ball returns to the floor. Donovan's self-expressed optimism came six days after the UCLA product said he wouldn't play for at least a week. Friday, April 4, will be nine days since Ball ruled himself out for a week.
On the brink of a Play-In Tournament appearance, Lonzo's comeback couldn't have come at a better time. The 27-year-old guard has the best net rating of all Bulls to start the season in Chicago. He's a talented player, who fits in well at multiple positions and in numerous lineups. If Ball doesn't return against Portland, expect him to be back in the lineup on April 6 as the Bulls take on the LaMelo Ball-less Charlotte Hornets.