Lonzo Ball has not played since midway through last season because of a knee injury, and the Chicago Bulls still have not offered a timeline for when he might return. That may be because the team has no idea what is going on with Ball.
During a Tuesday appearance on 670 The Score’s “Bernstein & Holmes Show,” Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times said Chicago’s medical staff is unsure of why Ball is still experiencing pain in his knee. Ball and his camp have no answers, either, despite seeking opinions from at least six different doctors.
“The Chicago Bulls don’t know why Lonzo Ball is still feeling pain in his knee. The medical staff doesn’t know why there is still pain,” Cowley said. “Lonzo and his camp also don’t know why. Lonzo has had at least 6 opinions from doctors.”
That does not sound good.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said before Saturday’s game against the Orlando Magic that Ball is “nowhere close” to returning. He said the team will have discussions after the All-Star break about a potential cut-off point for shutting Ball down for the season.
Ball played in just 35 games for Chicago last season before undergoing meniscus surgery on his left knee. He has suffered multiple setbacks and needed another procedure back in September. The Bulls said at the time that Ball would be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks, and it has now been more than four months.
There have now been numerous discouraging updates since Ball underwent surgery. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Ball has a history of problems in his left knee. He sprained his MCL in Jan. 2018 and tore his meniscus in the same knee several months later.
