After reports in the summer that he was expected to miss all of the 2023-24 season, Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball is now on pace to make a surprise return to the team this season.
In his first 35 games with the Chicago Bulls, Lonzo Ball was able to make a notable impact. Following four straight losing seasons, the former first-round pick was a big help to the defense and made the offense a finely tuned machine. Getting All-Stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan the ball where they needed it.
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However, when he went down with a knee injury midway through the season, the team that seemed like it could be a force in the Eastern Conference struggled en route to the playoffs and was quickly eliminated. Ball has had multiple procedures on the knee since and has yet to return to the lineup. Unfortunately for the Bulls, their problems without him have continued and they have not been able to adequately address it.
Heading into the new year Chicago is barely holding onto the final playoff spot in the East and could be headed to an NBA trade deadline selloff. However, there may now be hope for a turnaround and the Bulls returning to the team they were in 2021-2022.
Lonzo Ball in a position to return to the Chicago Bulls early in 2024
In the offseason, all signs pointed to Lonzo Ball missing all of the team’s 2023-24 campaign. However, on Thursday head coach Billy Donovan revealed that a recent procedure on Ball’s joint was finally able to address the consistent pain and it has been “eliminated.” He is now set to start running in the coming days and the door is now wide open to a return this season as long as he doesn’t have a setback.
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The next four weeks will be huge for the Chicago Bulls as they must decide if they should break down this team that showed so much promise before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, or hold the line and hope Ball can return to form and get them back to what they were a couple of seasons ago.
