Lonzo Ball gives update on his knee: "It's getting better each time"

It’s been nearly 1,000 days since Lonzo Ball last played in an NBA game, and while both he and the Chicago Bulls are playing his return conservatively and cautiously, all signs have been positive so far.

“I would say today’s probably my best day,” Ball told reporters after Friday’s training camp. “It’s getting better each time.”

“This is definitely the most high intensity things I’ve had, just being out here with the guys,” Ball continued. “Obviously, training camps a little extra too. So really, just blessed to be out here, man, I feel good.

Head coach Billy Donovan reiterated the sentiment.

“We pushed him further today,” Donovan said. “He looked good out there. Moving around, it was encouraging to see. I’m happy for him personally. I think timing wise and things like that, or he’ll get back as he plays more five-on-five. He’s still, in my opinion, incredibly effective because his IQ. As he finds that rhythm and time the way he plays, he’s just got a really, really good feel. But I was happy that he could play as much as he did five-on-five.”

Through the first week of camp, the Bulls are being careful not to overload Ball to where he needs to take the next day or several days off. Instead, they’re holding him out of certain drills, limiting his participation in scrimmaging and measuring and tracking his workload.

“I would say constant,” Ball said with a smile when asked about his communication with the team’s medical staff. “A lot of data, a lot of stuff that got put on me, like tracking-wise, but it’s all you know for the betterment of myself and the team.”

The Bulls spent the entirety of Friday’s training camp scrimmaging and Ball felt “very confident” in his knee during the runs.

“I’ve been able to do everything, pretty much,” he said. “I’m just in for bits and pieces though. We scrimmaged today, so I was in and out, but got up and down. Like I said, got to feel it out, test it out, and it feels good right now.”

As the team collects more information, they’ll be able to figure out what exactly his role will look like for the upcoming season, and how many minutes they’ll hold him to. Ball already said there would be a minutes limit and back-to-backs would be off the table.

“How can we create a role for him where there’s some consistency there, and it’s not just for this year, but he can continue on (in his) career,” Donovan said.

At the same point, Ball has been realistic about how he may not have the same explosive burst that made him a special defender during his 35 games in the magical stretch to open the 2021-22 season. But he’s building back towards it.

“It’s really just slight differences, to be honest,” Ball said of how his game may have to change. “More physical things like sliding on defense, getting over screens and stuff like that is a little bit slower. But just play the game a lot smarter, that’s really what I have to focus on and using my IQ to be ahead of things.”

Ball’s shooting, defensive disruption and transition passing stood out on highlight reels, but what made him special was his basketball IQ. Being able to see the game unfold a step or two ahead of the action allowed him to make reads ahead of the defense or position himself to be able to get a steal and transition hit ahead pass.

Having been out as long as he has, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think the game might move too quickly for him during the reacclimation process. Instead, Ball sees that as he greatest strength.

“I still see everything the same way,” he said. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was six, so I don’t think that’s gonna go anywhere. It’s more about just getting my legs into things. That’s probably the biggest thing right now adjustment wise.”

Ball is still getting his legs back underneath him. He says he feels it most with his jump shot and conditioning than anything else. But his confidence and optimism through an undoubtedly challenging time in his life as never waivered.

“For me to see the way he’s battled and fought…he just never really lost his spirit,” Donovan said. “Never ever saw him down one time. It kind of was the attitude of, ‘hey, listen, I’m just going to take on whatever’s coming my way and just deal with it’. I’m just happy he’s back in between the lines playing.”

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