The Chicago Bulls have been without Lonzo Ball for the past seven games. The veteran playmaker is seadling with an injury to his right wrist. It’s the same wrist that hampered Ball’s start to the season, keeping him out for the opening 15 games.
According to ESPN, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is not planning on shutting Ball down for the remainder of the season.
“Lonzo Ball missed his seventh game with a right wrist injury on Saturday night, but there’s no plan to shut him down for the rest of the season, Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan said,” ESPN reported. “…Donovan also said there’s no plan at this point for Ball to have surgery in the offseason.”
Ball has struggled with injuries throughout his tenure on the Bulls roster. A knee issue kept him out of Chicago’s rotation from January 15, 2022 until October 23, 2024. As such, you can understand why some sections of the fanbase would prefer the front office to approach his current recovery with caution.
Since returning to the Bulls rotation this season, Ball has played in 35 games. He’s averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 36.6% from the field and 34.4% from deep. After missing over two years of professional basketball, it’s going to take a while until we see Ball back to his best. Each time he suffered a setback such as this, he was forced to start from the ground up.
Bulls Lonzo Ball Is Enjoying Being Back
During a March 11 interview with Heavy on Sports, Ball discussed his significant layoff. He noted how he’s pleased to be back on an NBA court, despite being written off by some sections of the media and the fanbase.
“It’s just a blessing man, to be honest. A lot of people wrote me off – for good reason. A lot of people didn’t think I would be here right now, still hooping. But the people around me did. I felt it,” Ball told Heavy Sports “The journey made me stronger. Got to dive into myself a little bit more away from hoop with the time off, and I just felt like I came out of it a better man. And just overall, just full of happiness, man. Just to be able to play again and be out there and do the things I love to do.”
Chicago recently inked Ball to a two-year $20 million contract extension, with the second year being a team option. As such, he has every reason to be motivated to get back on the court and producing at a consistent level.
Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Happy to Repay The Franchise
During his sitdown with Heavy on Sports, Ball praised the commitment and support he received from the organization.
“They’ve believed in me. I think that’s helped me, definitely, along the process,” Ball said. “Very happy to be staying in Chicago, for sure.”
Currently, the Bulls front office is at a crossroads. They can either pivot toward a full-scale rebuild, or begin re-tooling the roster on the fly. Both options have their benefits, and Ball is capable of slotting into the rotation regardless of the direction the front office takes. Nevertheless, he, just like the rest of us, would likely prefer to know what to expect in the coming years.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bulls Coach Billy Donovan Makes Decision on Shutting Down Lonzo Ball appeared first on Heavy Sports.