A late-season return from meniscus surgery is becoming increasingly unlikely for Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball.
Ball ceased running this week in the latest development in his recovery process, which has been stymied by continued knee discomfort for several weeks. He won’t attempt to run again for 10 days. Ball hasn’t been able to sprint or perform any drills at full speed since he underwent surgery in January.
At the time, Ball was given a six-to-eight-week window to rehabilitate from surgery and rebuild strength. But his recovery has been complicated by a deep bone bruise in the knee that he suffered before the torn meniscus.
Every time Ball attempts a drill at full speed, he experiences pain in the knee, coach Billy Donovan said Monday. Every time he feels that twinge, he’s forced to stop.
Donovan emphasized that the discomfort isn’t indicative of further damage to the knee, but the injury isn’t healing as swiftly as the Bulls hoped.
“It’s not necessarily that he’s had any setbacks,” Donovan said. “It’s just that we have not been able to take that next step.”
The Bulls will determine whether Ball can return for the regular season after the 10-day moratorium on running. At that point, only six games will remain on the schedule, which means Ball is unlikely to return to the rotation before the postseason.
Although injuries have plagued the Bulls for most of the season, the roster is close to whole again after Patrick Williams returned Monday.
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