Bulls' Lonzo Ball ramping up rehab for possible postseason return

Lonzo Ball has been out of action since mid-January due to a meniscus tear that required surgery to repair, but Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan offered hope that a return for the playoffs could still happen.

Ten days after Ball's rehab from the injury was put on hold due to discomfort in his knee, Donovan told reporters Thursday that it's time to ramp things back up.

"Obvious with the amount of time that he had off to kind of let things calm down, it's not gonna go zero to 60," Donovan said, via NBC Sports Chicago. "That will take a little bit of time to see how he responds once we get to a place where we try to get back to him some of that sprinting and cutting."

Ball, 24, was averaging 13 points, 5.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds prior to his injury with career field-goal and three-point shooting percentages. The Bulls were 27-13 at the time of Ball's injury, but are 17-19 since and sliding down the Eastern Conference standings. Ball is far from the only Chicago player to go down with an injury, though, as the team has also been without Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams for significant stretches this season.

Chicago's regular-season finale is less than two weeks away, but Donovan says a return for Ball is still possible.

"I have not gotten anything from doctors that said to me, like, 'Listen, there's just not enough time, we can't get him back,'" Donovan said. "They're gonna do everything they can to try to get him back. But a lot's gonna be depending on how he responds to this."

The Bulls acquired Ball in an August 2021 sign-and-trade deal.