The 10-day window for Lonzo Ball to have his sprained right wrist re-evaluated will come on Thursday, but don’t expect to see the Bulls point guard anytime soon.
While it initially didn’t sound very serious when the team announced it last week, according to Billy Donovan on Wednesday, that was not the case.
“I think we really dodged a bullet because that could have been a fracture that could have been very similar to Patrick (Williams’) situation,” Donovan said. “So the mentality right now is certainly be aggressive with the treatment, but we’re going to make sure he’s good.”
It was Williams that injured his left wrist early on in the 2021 season, and it went from a sprain to eventually having to repair torn ligaments that had led to a fracture. Either way, it cost Williams the season.
Considering how much time Ball has missed in the wake of three knee surgeries, including the last one which was basically an entire replacement, the organization will obviously proceed with extreme caution. That’s why Ball stayed back in Chicago, working on his conditioning.
“The swelling has gone down,” Donovan said. “He’s still in the brace and the splint. It’s just going to be one of those things where it all depends on how long it takes to heal. I think they’re going to be aggressive with his treatment and therapy, but cautious to do anything that will set him back. I think he had mentioned that if he gets going too soon and it’s much too early, that could be a problem.”
Ball injured the wrist early on in the win over Memphis. He’s played in three regular-season games, getting 15.7 minutes off the bench and averaging 4.7 points and 3.7 assists per game.
Adductor blues
Zach LaVine made the trip to Dallas with the team, but after getting a workout in the morning shootaround the training staff opted to let him rest the adductor strain one more game.
Donovan didn’t have an exact return, but it could be very soon, like Thursday when the Bulls return home to host the Timberwolves.
“He’s doing more and more,” Donovan said of LaVine. “I think the biggest thing for him is just the comfort in terms of running and I think he’s been able to do more of that, but like I said before the Utah game, it was not a situation where we felt he was going to be out like several weeks. We wanted to catch it before it did possibly turn into that, so I would anticipate him back pretty soon.”
Rookie run
Life in the NBA hasn’t been as smooth as rookie Matas Buzelis would have liked so far, but the 11th overall pick is grabbing his minutes and runs whenever, and wherever, he can get them.
He did have one of his better stints in the first quarter against the Mavericks, playing just under seven minutes and scoring five points with a block and a plus-1 in the plus/minus category.
But most of his playing time lately has come spending a day down in the G League or in extra scrimmages after shootarounds. In his mind he just needs to make do.
“Honestly, just working out, staying ready,” he said of his mindset. “I mean in the (scrimmages) you’re still getting burn. Me, having my beliefs in my basketball abilities, I think that’s all that matters. Even if you’re not getting the true NBA game, I’m here for a reason and I wouldn’t be given the opportunity if they didn’t believe in me.”