Lonzo Ball’s Depressing Injury Update Drains Optimism After Chicago Bulls Media Day

NBA Media Day typically brings some level of optimism, no matter the position a team finds itself in. Even with Lonzo Ball set to undergo another knee surgery, Monday’s Chicago Bulls Media Day festivities still featured plenty of positive vibes as the Bulls prepare to take on the challenge of a competitive Eastern Conference.

Then Ball talked to the media on Tuesday.

Ball’s Zoom call with reporters painted a bleak picture, with the guard admitting he still can’t run or jump after a summer full of rehab and doctor consultations. He initially underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus back in January, with a troublesome bone bruise complicating matters and keeping him out for the rest of last season and beyond.

“I really can’t run,” Ball said, via Cody Westerlund of 670 The Score. “Can’t run or jump. There’s like a range from 30 to 60 degrees when my knee is bent that I have like no force and I can’t like catch myself. Until I can do those things, I can’t play. I did rehab. It was getting better, but it was not to a point where I could get out there and actually go out there and run full speed or jump. So surgery is the next step.”

Ball even admitted he’s still dealing with pain in everyday life, including when he walks up stairs. He said doctors are “surprised” at what’s going on with him, because they can’t seem to figure out what’s happening.

After exhausting all options, the decision was made for Ball to undergo a debridement surgery, which will take place on Wednesday. While the knee appears to be structurally sound based on MRIs, there’s clearly something still wrong and the surgery will be done to see what’s going on in there.

The fact that this injury has befuddled all these doctors and is affecting normal activities is troubling. The mind immediately turns to long-term issues that totally alter not only Ball’s career but his life after basketball. The hope is it’s not that serious and this surgery will indeed figure out the source of the problem and fix it.

Ball is still confident he’ll return at some point in the 2022-23 season, but it’s impossible to know just when he’ll be back. While he’s slated to undergo an evaluation four to six weeks after Wednesday’s surgery, it’ll likely take much longer than that before he’s ready to play again. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan admitted the team must operate as if there’s a legitimate possibility Ball doesn’t play this season:

This is all a major bummer for a player who meant so much to the Bulls last season. He played a key role in Chicago running out to one of the best records in the NBA, and his absence became especially glaring to close out the campaign. His passing, 3-point shooting and defense are all pillars of this roster.

With Ball set to miss some or all of 2022-23, the Bulls’ ceiling takes a hit. The question is if they can stay afloat in an Eastern Conference that will once again be much better than it used to be. One theme of Media Day was the acknowledgement of just how difficult the East will be this season, though they’re embracing the challenge.

“I love the competitive island that the East is on,” All-Star Demar DeRozan said, per the Bulls. “That’s what brings the best out of you, when you have the best around you. Put me in a room with the best it’s gonna bring the best out in me.”

DraftKings currently has the Bulls at 42.5 wins, which is ninth in the East. That would mean Chicago would need to win two play-in games just to get the No. 8 seed. Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said the expectations are to improve upon last season and win at least a playoff round. That would obviously be difficult to do from the No. 9 spot.

There are pathways for the Bulls to weather this Lonzo Ball storm and be better than expected. They still have two All-Star guards in DeRozan and a now-healthy Zach LaVine. Nikola Vucevic was an All-Star not long ago. Alex Caruso is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu could make crucial leaps. Maybe Coby White even surprises and the two veterans signed in the offseason, Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic, legitimately bolster the depth.

So much has to go right, though, and the East being tough won’t make things any easier. Not all hope is lost for this Bulls team, but it’s hard not to be pessimistic after this latest Ball update.