The Lonzo Ball tenure with the Chicago Bulls hasn’t gone planned accordingly. He signed with the Bulls last summer, making a threatening starting five lineup with Demar Derozan, Zach Lavine, Nikola Vucevic, and Patrick Williams. In the 35 games he played, the team looked like legit championship contenders reaching the first seed in the East in January.
This team looked destined for glory once more.
However, in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 14, Ball would suffer a catastrophic injury to his left knee that would keep him sidelined for the rest of the 2021-2022 NBA season.
Concerning news for Bulls fans came from Ball himself as he made it clear his injury still bothers him, and it may be possible he’ll be sidelined to start the season. Ball told reporters he is unable to run or jump as of yet, and it’ll be up to his arthroscopic debridement on Sept. 28 that will determine whether he’s eligible to play.
“This is something I’ve never dealt with,” Ball said. “Even the doctors are surprised a little bit.”
Ball’s contribution is a must-have in order to find success for this Bulls team. Doubts will continue to rise if Ball is unable to return, but proper conditioning may see him reach his elite status once more.
“That’d be the worst-case scenario,” said Ball when asked if there’s a possibility he’ll miss this entire upcoming season. “I’m at a point now where I can’t get back out there until I’m comfortable playing and can actually play. When that day comes, I’ll have the jersey back on.”
