The last time Lonzao Ball stepped on the court to play, the Bulls were riding high atop the Eastern Conference and during this period it was Zach LaVine’s injury in the opening minutes against the Golden State Warriors that had fans worried last January. LaVine recovered, returned and signed a max deal with the Bulls in the offseason. Ball had knee surgery, was shut down, had a second knee surgery and almost 11 months after suffering his initial knee injury the Bulls don’t know when or if he’ll come back in the 2022-23 season.

Lonzo Ball Injury Update – Bad

Julia Poe updated Bulls fans on Ball’s current status in the Chicago Tribune Thursday and folks this is as classic Bulls as it gets. The team still does not know what is causing pain in Ball’s injured knee.

Via the Chicago Tribune.

It has been nearly a year since Ball initially injured his left knee in a Jan. 14 game. But coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls don’t know when — or if — their starting point guard will be available this season.

Donovan hinted Wednesday at a state of confusion Ball previously described during the preseason: Despite months of coordination between the team’s medical staff and Ball’s doctors in Los Angeles, the injury remains something of a mystery.

The previous source of Ball’s pain wasn’t visible on MRI scans. He suffered daily pain — including when he attempted to climb the staircase in his Los Angeles home — and couldn’t bend his knee past a 30-degree angle. After two surgeries and close to 11 months of recovery, the medical staff still can’t pinpoint why he continues to experience pain.

Not great, guys!

Ball had a second knee procedure on Sept. 28, but as of now he’s still not able to jump or cut. There is no timetable for his return to the court let alone Ball returning to game action. Right now Ball is limited to working out at the Advocate Center, where he’s been weight lifting and doing core exercises.

It’s crazy to think how Ball’s first timetable to return was 6-8 weeks after having surgery to repair his left meniscus. That was all the way back on Jan. 28, and we continue to wonder when Ball will be healthy again.

Lonzo Ball Injury Timeline

Jan. 14, 2022: Suffers injury in 136-98 loss to the Warriors.
Jan. 15: Ball ruled out with knee soreness against Celtics.
Jan. 19: Ball not responding to initial treatment plan.
Jan. 20: Ball misses two more games and news breaks that he’ll have surgery on his left knee.
Jan. 28: Ball undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to return in 6-8 weeks.
March 12: Ball says he feels good and wants to get on the court as soon as possible.
March 21: Bulls “pull back” on Ball’s rehab after he experiences discomfort in his knee while running.
March 31: Ball restarts rehab process.
April 6: Ball is still experiencing pain and is officially shut down for the rest of the 2021-22 season.
April 28: Ball’s recovery at a standstill.
May 18: Lavar Ball, Lonzo’s father, says Bulls started Lonzo’s rehab too quickly after surgery.
June 23: Bulls GM Marc Eversley says he’s hopeful Ball will be ready for training camp.
Sept. 21: Bulls announce Ball will have another arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Sept. 28: Ball undergoes surgery and will be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks.
Nov. 25: Bulls insider Sam Smith says Ball could be back by the All-Star break.
Dec. 1: Ball still hasn’t run at full speed and isn’t cleared for contact.

I mean, hey the good news is that Ball hasn’t suffered a setback and it’s just a matter of his recovery being slow. Well, I guess that’s not much more comforting.

Who would have thought that not DeMar DeRozan, or LaVine, but Lonzo Ball was the guy the Bulls couldn’t lose. And yeah obviously those two guys are vital to the Bulls’ success, but you can’t argue how much worse the Bulls have been ever since Ball went down with this knee injury.

The Bulls are currently 12th in the East with a 9-12 record and it doesn’t sound like Lonzo Ball is coming through that door to save the day any time soon.