PARIS — The cool morning Paris weather made the team photo shoot at the Eiffel Tower a bit unpleasant.
The nice thing about it was it included injured point guard Lonzo Ball.
Don’t get too comfortable with that idea, however. That photo might be as close as he gets to being in the picture this season.
After Ball made a rare media interview on Monday and took an optimistic approach to trying to return at some point in the 2022-23 campaign, coach Billy Donovan was much more guarded on that process and insisted that the idea of just dropping him into the playoffs if that’s when he’s ready, was really not on the table.
“No, without him being able to have some kind of … I don’t think we’re talking about five days,’’ Donovan said of when Ball was even cleared. “I think this is going to be weeks for him to get himself back. And then it’s going to be, ‘OK, he had a hard workout and got up and down. Can he come back and do it the next day?’ Or is it, ‘He’s had three really good days but he needs an off day.’ All those things are going to have to be managed. Because nobody really knows outside of his rehab and him and the medical, what does this look like during contact? And how does he feel the next day after contact? I think all those things will be variables for his return to play.’’
Bulls in Paris ❤️🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/WmiaIu34mI
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 18, 2023
What has changed in Ball’s recovery from two left knee surgeries in less than a year, was the idea of him starting to be around the team a bit more. If his rehab allows it the organization would want to take Ball on more future road trips and keep him engaged with teammates and practices.
Where it will get interesting is will the organization and Ball be on the same page when it is time for him to ramp up contact and start preparing for games? The last scenario the Bulls need is rushing him back for the playoffs and then having setbacks that carry into next season.
Ball’s mindset was he’s a high-IQ player, and once he’s cleared can be thrown in no matter the magnitude of the games — regular season or playoffs.
“Yeah, I mean I know how to play basketball, so it’s really just about me being comfortable enough to get out there and feel safe, and once I get back to that point I’ll be back in the gym,’’ Ball said.
Sleepwalkers
Because the Bulls took a red eye to Paris on Sunday, and were still trying to get used to the time change, Donovan was doing his best to make sure everyone was on a better schedule as Thursday’s Paris Game against the Pistons was approaching.
“I just look at what I’ve been through and I’m not even playing,’’ Donovan said. “I was up [Tuesday] at 3:30 or 4 am and couldn’t go back to sleep. There is a seven-hour time change and red-eye flight that you’re dealing with. I would sit there and say it would be hard to categorize everybody in the same boat. But I’m sure there are some guys that it’s been challenging for physically and with their sleep. It is so different.’’
Full go
Injured forward DeMar DeRozan was a full participant in the Wednesday practice, as unless there was a setback in his right quadriceps in the next 24 hours, he was expected to return to the starting lineup after missing the last three games.
“He went through everything [Wednesday],’’ Donovan said. “A lot of it will depend on how he responds off [the practice] because we competed and scrimmaged and went up and down and that’s the first we’ve been able to see him do that.’’
