Is Lonzo Ball Done? What Does This Mean for the Bulls?

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On January 14th, 2022, Lonzo Ball played 24 minutes against the Golden State Warriors. In that time, Ball put up 15 points, two rebounds, and three assists while shooting 4/10 from three. The Bulls lost that game, but had a 27-13 record, first in the Eastern Conference. Reports later came out that Ball would be having surgery on his knee and would be out for 6-8 weeks. It has been one year and four weeks since Ball last played. Reports that have come out over the last year have been far from positive, with almost all those reports saying there was no progress on Ball’s recovery, he was still feeling discomfort in his knee, and couldn’t return to the court. Ball’s injury has confused Bulls Nation and NBA fans alike with them all asking the same question: what went wrong?

In the five seasons he’s played in the league so far, Ball has only played 252 games. He has not played more than 65 games in a season, playing 63 games in the shortened 2019-20 season. Ball has had numerous injuries during his NBA career including several knee, hip, and ankle injuries. Now being out for over a year, no one within the Bulls organization or Lonzo Ball’s camp knows why he’s still feeling discomfort. In the second year of a four-year / $80 Million contract, there is no telling if Ball will play another game.

Fingers have been pointed in several directions and at several people in this situation. Some have pointed fingers at Big Baller Brand, the sneaker brand created by his father LaVar Ball. Although he hasn’t worn BBB shoes in several seasons, many linked the shoe to his earlier injuries and injury risk going forward. Lonzo himself admitted the shoe he wore was not ready and would switch pairs between quarters due to the shoe falling apart. Some pointed to Ball’s long-term injuries to the current state of youth basketball and the countless games he and younger players in the league played prior to the NBA and college basketball, something that has been linked to shorter careers for some of the younger players in the league.

There is no clear answer for what is going on with Lonzo Ball’s knee though. While a few reports over the last month have said there’s been a slight improvement in Ball’s progress, in the last week Bulls’ head coach Billy Donovan said Ball is “nowhere close” to returning. With the season over halfway over the All-Star break being just a few weeks away, it is almost a guarantee that Ball will not suit up for the Bulls this season, if he even plays in the NBA again.

With the worst possible news coming out of the Lonzo Ball situation, the future is not looking good for the Chicago Bulls. With reports saying the Bulls are unlikely to make any big moves before the deadline, the team will be finishing the season with their current roster. The team does not have a true point guard right now, something the team is desperately lacking. Chicago has another concern in Javonte Green, who had the same surgery Ball had. While reports say Green is close to returning to practice, his status is concerning based on Lonzo’s current progression. Currently sitting in 11th in the Eastern Conference after having expectations of having Ball back and reaching the second round of the playoffs, neither of those expectations look possible. With his slow recovery and the mystery of what’s going on with his knee, it’s possible Lonzo Ball’s career could already be over.