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Things appear to be going very differently for Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball during his latest rehab stint. The 25-year-old is set to miss his second consecutive season as he rehabs from his latest surgery to repair his balky knee but says this stint has a unique feel compared to those passed.
“After the other surgeries, this one has definitely gone the best as far as [the] recovery process,” Ball said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN on October 6. “The last two rehab processes I had, I was getting better and then it just hit a standstill and it started going down. And I haven’t hit that yet.”
Ball spoke of being at a standstill in his rehab at the end of the 2021-22 season. He noted how he was unable to do day-to-day tasks without pain during his exit interview.
And the Bulls were granted an exception for half of his 2022-23 salary, though there is some question about how motivated they truly are to use the exception, though. They are less than $1 million below the luxury tax threshold as it is and have rarely ventured into it in the franchise’s history.
“As far as incentives go, they don’t line up well for an immediate surge in the standings either,” wrote John Hollinger of The Athletic on October 5. “Chicago enters the season $862,081 from the tax line, and history tells us the Bulls have no intention of exceeding it.”
Lonzo Ball Finds ‘Motivation’ in Being Doubted
Ball underwent a ligament transplant surgery on his left knee in March to address an injury suffered in January during the 2021-22 season. He played just 35 games with the Bulls before suffering the injury which led to his fourth surgery on the knee since entering the league in 2017 and has put his career in jeopardy.
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But Ball remains adamant that he can return to the court and will do so with the Bulls.
“It’s motivation for me because there’s been people that have been counted out,” Ball said, per Collier. “For me, it’s about getting back and doing what I want to do and love to do, which is play basketball.”
According to Collier, Ball is targeting a return to the court in January if all continues to go well in his rehab adding that the organization is also positive if unsure.
“Although the Bulls remain optimistic, sources said the organization is still unsure if Ball will ever play for them again, knowing he still has a long way to go in his rehab process,” Collier wrote. “But his progress following this most recent surgery has given all parties involved reason for hope.”
Bulls Build Out Point Guard Rotation
This offseason, the Bulls were much more deliberate in addressing their point guard spot without Ball, first bringing back both Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White, then signing Jevon Carter away from the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. All three Bulls guards are competing for the starting spot in Ball’s absence and he is there to help in any way possible.
“I’m still a part of the team,” Ball said via the team during media day on October 2. “I’m an open book, and I’m here to help any way I can. So if it’s taking guys one-on-one or talking in front of the team, I can do any of that. … Like I said, I’m here to help in any way I can.”
He also offered some advice to the team in general as they look to prove they can consistently function without him, something Zach LaVine has said they’ve struggled with.
“First and foremost, we got to play defense. Come out and make it hard for people to score,” Ball said on media day. “Secondly, I would say play free. Don’t worry about all the outside opinions, and just worry about what we got going on in-house and just get better each game.”
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