Lonzo Ball has been absent from the NBA since January 2022, as his chronic knee issues have kept him out of action, even threatening to force him into an early retirement. However, the Bulls guard is gearing up for a return in the upcoming season and his brother LiAngelo Ball is confident that he’d make enough impact to end Chicago’s two-year playoff drought.
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The duo made an appearance on the WAE Podcast where Lonzo discussed the vibes inside the facility during the Bulls’ Media Day. He noted that the roster is much younger than the last time he was with them day in and day out, and lauded the front office for putting their faith in young players. Co-host DMO then turned to LiAngelo and asked him about the Bulls’ ceiling in the upcoming season.
The 25-year-old was positive that his brother would lead the franchise to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus. However, he admitted that his confidence was based solely on Lonzo’s ability. LiAngelo said,
“They’re gonna make the playoffs for sure. I’m not familiar with their team bro, a lot of changes went down. I got to see a couple of games but you know I like how Zo hoops so you know I got faith in them.”
The Bulls are expected to be among the weakest teams in the East after losing DeMar DeRozan to the Kings and trading Alex Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey. However, Lonzo’s return could provide a massive boost, especially if he hits the same level he was at before suffering the knee injury that has kept him out for two and a half years.
Lonzo Ball’s long-awaited comeback
Lonzo was having the best season of his career before he was injured. He averaged 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on a career-high 42.3% shooting. He was also banking 3.1 three-pointers per game on a 42.3% conversion rate.
He was stellar on defense and led the Bulls to a 22-13 record before his injury. The Bulls desperately need him to rekindle that form, but they are realistic in their expectations of the guard. When asked about the team’s plan to reintegrate Lonzo into the rotation, head coach Billy Donovan said,
“He has played five-on-five but we don’t know what he is gonna look like throughout the course of 82 games, and necessarily how we’re gonna go about managing that. He will start off slowly in the training camp and we will monitor him.”
The Bulls will likely expect him to provide defensive support off the bench and use him as a primary defender against elite scoring guards.
