Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls is expected to miss four to six weeks. The Chicago Bulls guard will undergo arthritis surgery on his left knee. Ball suffered a torn meniscus in January, forcing him to miss the rest of the year. While recovering, the discomfort in his left knee did not subside. This will not be the first time he has had surgery on his left knee. During Ball’s life, he underwent two other procedures on the same knee. The good news is that Lonzo Ball should be ready to go by the start of the new regular season.
Lonzo Ball is expected to miss four to six weeks
Lonzo Ball: His role on the Chicago Bulls
The former UCLA Bruin has carved out a great role for himself after a rough start to his career. After a rocky start with the Los Angeles Lakers and a mismatch with the New Orleans Pelicans, he seems to have found a real home with the Chicago Bulls. Ball is one of the most sought-after role players in the league. He’s a great coordinator and an even better perimeter defender. He and Alex Caruso form one of the best defensive backcourts in the league, and the Bulls will miss either one out.
Chicago’s star trio of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are all great offensive tools, but they struggle defensively. As a result, Lonzo Ball helps pick up the slack on the defensive end of the floor while allowing the stars to grow on the offensive end. Lonzo had what many would consider a career year last year. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Ball had a defensive win average of 1.4 to go along with a defensive box plus/minus of 1.6, his best since his rookie year.
The risk of the ball moving forward
The Bulls have really missed the defensive presence of the ball since being sidelined in January. Chicago has been in the top four in the Eastern Conference for months, but after losing Lonzo, they fell a bit. There is reason to worry about moving forward. It’s no secret that Ball won’t become a superstar in the NBA, as his father once predicted. However, he has become a great role player willing to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player on any given night.
If knee injuries continue to plague Lonzo, there is a serious risk that he will lose his ability to track down quick guards, which will reduce his effectiveness on the defensive end of the floor. Arguably his best feature. When the Chicago Bulls return to the ball, Ball may be put on a minutes limit to prevent his left knee from re-aggravating and allowing Alex Caruso to become the starting point guard until Lonzo is 100 percent healthy. Hopefully, this knee surgery will be the catalyst for Lonzo Ball’s return to full health.
