Lonzo Ball’s return to NBA action has been nothing short of inspirational. The Bulls guard was at the peak of his prowess when he went down in 2022. Three years and three surgeries later, the oldest Ball brother finally made his first start in the NBA since 14th January 2022 yesterday.
Advertisement
He spoke about how the Bulls are managing his injury, as he has been placed on a minutes restriction since his return to action. On his ‘What an Experience’ podcast, the former Chino Hills star said he and the team expect him to log close to 24 minutes per game.
“Whether I come in off the bench or whether I start it’s no different to me. My minutes is at around 24-25 minutes right now, so I know I’mma play that regardless.”
Having originally started at 12 minutes, it’s clear to see that the point guard is excited about the amount of time he gets to play. Given how severe his injuries were, the Bulls understandably do not want to rush their point guard back any sooner than he’s ready, so the minutes restriction is season-long.
“I mean, we started at 12? 14? We’re at 24 right now. I mean, it’s still going up. I don’t know how much more it’s going to go up for this year at least. I know that we’re just trying to get to the end of the season.”
In Zo’s first start in 3 years, the Bulls hosted the Sacramento Kings on the 12th of January. Despite Zach LaVine’s 36 points, they could not clinch the win.
Lonzo Ball’s first start since 2022
Of course, he was disappointed by the loss, but Ball was thrilled to hear the love the fans had for him. He said, “It felt good. I wish we would’ve got the dub tho honestly… I mean I was definitely blessed to hear my name, I know it’s been a long time. Know the city was happy, I could hear their applause man. Definitely a great night.”
In 24 minutes, Ball registered 15 points on 56% shooting. He also registered 3 assists without any turnovers, meaning he’s slowly getting used to his way around the court again.
