Lonzo Ball nearing shutdown as knee discomfort continues

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In his second attempt at increasing his workload in an attempt to return from a bone bruise and surgery to repair a torn meniscus, Lonzo Ball again experienced discomfort, Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.

Though the team didn’t officially rule Ball out for the season, that’s expected to be a formality at this point. He certainly won’t play again in the regular season, which ends on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Ball has been sidelined since Jan. 14 and underwent surgery to address the meniscus and bone bruise injuries on Jan. 28. At the time of the operation, he was expected to return in six to eight weeks. 

“It’s obviously disappointing,” Donovan said.

That Ball experienced discomfort during his second attempt at ramping up his activity — and after a 10-day break from running — is a discouraging development. Donovan said Ball would meet with the team’s medical staff in the next day or two to determine next steps. That meeting also will include input from Bulls management and Ball's representatives, a source said, and is expected to conclude with Ball officially starting to eye the offseason. 

“We were hoping that the time he had off could help him propel moving forward to do a little more,” Donovan said. “That certainly hasn’t been the case.”

Though a final decision hasn’t officially been made and Ball’s desire to return all along has been driving the process, the reality is the Bulls and Ball are running out of time. The Bulls have been bracing for some time for the likelihood that Ball wouldn't return.

Asked for a second time whether the organization would be comfortable with Ball returning for the playoffs, which are typically more intense, without playing in the regular season first, Donovan demurred.

“We haven’t even got to that point,” Donovan said. “Those without question will be conversations going here forward of how realistic that is for him to get back. Certainly on the table would be, ‘OK, do we say he’s not going to play any more this year?’ I think those all will be things that will be discussed with the doctors and the organization.”

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