Lonzo Ball's knee recovery is not going as planned.
When healthy, Lonzo Ball is one of the best defenders and facilitators in the NBA. He has the ability to guard multiple positions and find scoring opportunities for his teammates in transition, and having a connective player like Ball is a boon for any team. On top of all the intangibles he brings, Lonzo Ball is also an elite 3PT shooter. Though he has not yet played for the Chicago Bulls this year, he put up 13.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 4.1 APG while shooting 42.3% from the 3PT range during the 2021-22 season.
Last year, we saw Lonzo Ball suffer a catastrophic knee injury that derailed his solid season. It is clear that this was a lingering injury, and unfortunately, it has still not healed. Bulls insider Joe Cowley has recently revealed that Ball is still feeling pain in his knee, and the team's medical staff and his own camp both don't know the reason for that.
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. Lonzo and his camp also don't know why.
There is no doubt that this is a concerning update on Lonzo Ball's injury, and it is unfortunate that it has kept him out for this long. At this point, all we can do is hope that Lonzo Ball gets better, and perhaps he'll manage to recover in time for next season.
The Chicago Bulls Could Keep Their Core Past The Trade Deadline
There is no doubt that many expect the Bulls to make some trades to head towards a rebuild prior to this year's trade deadline, as they are a middling team with no easy path to becoming a championship-level roster. However, a recent report revealed that they could simply keep their stars past the trade deadline.
Do you think the Bulls will trade one or more of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine or Nikola Vucevic by the Feb. 9 trade deadline? --- John C.
As of this typing, no. That’s certainly the current impression of the rival executives to whom I have spoken.
Obviously, things could easily be different by the trade deadline if the Chicago Bulls continue to lose games. That could sway them to move on from their veterans, especially if they end up getting solid deals.
Though a lot has gone wrong for the Chicago Bulls over the last two seasons, there is still a chance that they could be a solid team going forward. They still have two elite stars in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, and we'll see how they do for the rest of the season.
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