Lonzo Ball has not played in an NBA game since January, 2022. By all indications, his progress in recovering from the left knee injuries that have held him out has been minimal. A December report indicated that he would start running again in January, but running and playing are two very different things. Fortunately, Ball appears to have taken another step in the right direction.
According to Joe Cowley of NBC Sports Chicago, Ball has been cleared for advanced activities in his rehab. On Saturday, Bulls coach Billy Donovan said that Ball has begun running, jumping and cutting. So far, the Bulls seem happy with what they've seen out of Ball as he has progressed.
"Some of the workouts have been really, really positive and he has progressed," Donovan said. "He has responded well. Some of the things that medical guys have shown me is he looks good moving. I'm just really happy for him personally for his progress. He has worked hard to put himself in this position. And hopefully, he can continue to progress."
Ball played some of the best basketball of his career for Chicago before getting hurt. He shot a career-best 42.3% on 3-pointers in his debut campaign for Chicago while playing elite defense for a Bulls team that held the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for much of the 2021-22 season. Sadly, he has undergone three knee procedures since then. The Bulls made the 2022 playoffs without Ball, but lost in the first round. They were eliminated in the Play-In Tournament last season, and are currently seeded No. 9 in the Eastern Conference.
Currently, the Bulls are in a somewhat transitional stage. They tried to trade Zach LaVine this season, but injuries made doing so impossible. DeMar DeRozan is on an expiring contract. If Ball does return next season, he may be coming back to a very different sort of team.
But after missing more than two years, the goal for Ball will be to simply prove that he can physically stay on the floor. He still has a ways to go on that front. He has not yet been cleared for contact or five-on-five, so nothing is imminent. But at points during his rehab, it seemed as though Ball might never play another NBA game. For now, at least, he appears to be trending in the right direction.
