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September 27 update: Ball’s assessment of his condition might not ease the situation. The Bulls have put a 4-6 week timeline on Ball’s recovery, but that seems rosy given his comments. Ball said he can’t run or jump yet on the knee, and we’ll see what the impact of the surgery is. But for now, it’s safe to assume Ball won’t be starting the regular season on the court.
Ball said he has pain even climbing stairs and even doctors are a bit flummoxed (my word) as to what’s going on with the knee.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) September 27, 2022
The Chicago Bulls announced Lonzo Ball would miss 4-6 weeks due to surgery on his left knee. Ball is set to have the surgery next Wednesday, which means he is set to miss at least a few weeks of the regular season even if the timeline ends up being on the shorter end of the current estimate.
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will undergo surgery on his left knee this week and be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, team says.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 21, 2022
Ball’s knee was a problem late last season, as the Bulls dealt with major injuries across the rotation. Ball’s recovery was going well until he had multiple setbacks, and he’s now officially getting the surgery done. The Bulls had labeled him as “doubtful” to begin the 2022-23 regular season and the timeline for his recovery confirms that.
Ball is the second Bulls guard to have a knee procedure this offseason, as Zach LaVine also had one to clean up issues from late last season. The difference is LaVine was able to play through the injury and manage the pain, while Ball appeared to have a structural issue. We’ll see if Ball can get back on the court for a Chicago team hoping to get a spark from him.