CHICAGO — More than three months after tearing the meniscus in his left knee, Lonzo Ball is stuck in a standstill.
The Chicago Bulls finally shut down their starting point guard for the season shortly before the playoffs after a bone bruise in the knee delayed his recovery from surgery. Even after the team’s exit from the first round of the playoffs Wednesday night, Ball remains in pain and unsure when his rehabilitation will end.
Ball said Thursday he will meet with another knee specialist during the first week of May. Although he hopes to avoid a second procedure, that isn’t off the table.
“It’s very frustrating,” Ball said. “This year we had a lot of promise and I don’t think it was met, mainly due to a lot of health issues. But you can’t change your past. I think everything happens for a reason. For me now it’s just about moving forward and getting ready.”
Ball played only 35 games of his first season in Chicago, averaging 13 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals. The Bulls were a different team with Ball on the court — explosive on offense, smothering on defense.
He brought a vision at point guard that the young talent on the Bulls bench couldn’t replicate, whipping no-look passes to unexpectedly open teammates and pinpointing passes from one baseline to the other to spark transition plays.
As his rehab wore on, Ball’s teammates spoke with yearning about how good the team could be if Ball were healthy. But Ball said he couldn’t let himself ponder “what-ifs,” especially during the playoffs.
“Every time you watch the game, you feel like you can leave an impact on the game,” Ball said. “But you can’t change what already happened. I couldn’t be out there, so I didn’t tell the guys, ‘Oh, I wish I was out there with y’all,’ or, ‘I could’ve been doing this if I was there.’
“It was more about them. They were there, they were ready and I was just encouraging them.”
While his teammates focus on improving areas such as shooting and ballhandling, Ball has only one goal for the offseason: Get healthy and stay that way.
In five NBA seasons, Ball has yet to last a full season without an injury. His list of ailments during his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans included a sprained MCL, a torn ankle ligament and injuries to his adductor, knee, hip flexor, shoulder and thumb. He averages 50.4 games per season — 64.6% of the total games possible (252 of 390) — and never has played more than 63 games in a season.
Even more concerning is that this injury isn’t new for Ball. He tore the same meniscus in 2018, which adds pressure to make sure his rehabilitation is fully successful.
Ball can’t return to training until the pain in his knee subsides. Once he has crossed that threshold, he said he plans to spend his summer in Los Angeles focused on strengthening his lower body to create a more reliable base.
With one of the longest contracts on the team — expiring in 2025 — Ball is a clear key to the Bulls future. But his future depends on his ability to complete a healthy season.
“I don’t think anybody plays to get hurt. It’s just part of the game,” Ball said. “It’s been unfortunate for me my first couple years in the league, but hopefully I can turn it around next year.”
