Author: Monojit Mandal
Lonzo Ball’s injury-plagued season is over, as the Chicago Bulls point guard will not compete in the NBA Play-In Tournament or the rest of the playoffs. After being acquired in a sign-and-trade deal with the New Orleans Pelicans during the summer of 2021, Ball was considered a vital element of the Bulls’ rotation. Instead, he had knee problems throughout the 2021-22 season and beyond.
In January 2022, the Bulls announced that Ball would have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee due to a small meniscus tear. He was supposed to be out for a few weeks, but was still in discomfort months later and ended up missing the rest of the 2021-22 season.
The Bulls announced ahead of the 2022 training camp that Ball will undergo an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. Despite initial optimism that he could return at some point during the regular season, Chicago kept postponing Ball’s return date until he was officially declared out for the entire 2022-23 season.
The Bulls revealed in March that Ball will have a cartilage graft in his left knee and will be out indefinitely. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Ball’s third knee surgery “would cost most, if not all, of the 2023-24 season”, but the expectation is that it will help revitalize his career.
Ball’s loss was felt by the Bulls, who have struggled to establish consistency without him on the court. The team finished the regular season with a 46-36 record, good enough for seventh place in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
Although the Bulls survived without Ball, his return would have given the franchise a much-needed boost for the playoffs. Before his injury, the point guard had been playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
The Bulls will now rely on their remaining players to advance in the playoffs. Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan are expected to lead the club offensively, while Alex Caruso, Javonte Green and Troy Brown Jr.
Despite Ball’s absence, the Bulls remain hopeful about their playoff chances. “We have a wonderful set of players in that locker room,” LaVine said after the team’s April 12 win over the Brooklyn Nets. “We’re aware of our capabilities. All we have to do now is go out there and play our game.”