At this point, any news about Lonzo that doesn’t involve a setback is good news. And this latest update from the Chicago Bulls point guard definitely falls into that category. Ball, who underwent a cartilage transplant on his left knee last year, recently showed off his hops, ramming home two slam dunks in what appears to be a drill.
Progress
Ball hasn’t played an NBA game in over two years due to his knee injury in January 2022. Since that time, the former two-way star has undergone three surgeries on his injured knee. However, the latest procedure seems to be the most promising, as reports cite Lonzo is no longer feeling pain in his knee and is already going through controlled basketball drills.
But as Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune said on X, formerly Twitter, it can be hard to ascertain just how far along Ball is in his rehab process. Videos of him participating in drills like the one mentioned above can be a good sign, but ultimately it will be up to the Bulls' medical staff to determine when he is ready to return to full basketball activities.
“Hard to glean explosiveness/mobility from these brief clips but good in general to see him look comfortable getting up to the rim,” Poe wrote.
The long road back
It was reported a week ago that Ball had finally been cleared to go through advanced activities in his rehabilitation sessions. This meant that the UCLA product was finally able to run, jump, and cut. Bulls coach Billy Donovan relayed that Lonzo has responded well to the increased load.
"Some of the workouts have been really, really positive and he has progressed," Donovan said.
"He has responded well. Some of the things that medical guys have shown me is he looks good moving. I'm just really happy for him personally for his progress. He has worked hard to put himself in this position. And hopefully, he can continue to progress."
More must-reads: