Bulls guard Lonzo Ball optimistic for a return, but also realistic

PARIS – Lonzo Ball stood just off of the basketball court of the Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan on Monday, discussing his future – both immediate and long term.

The Bulls guard would have liked to offer up more details on his left knee rehab. He would have been all for giving a definitive timetable for a return. Heck, in a perfect world, he wouldn’t have been conducting an interview just off to the side of the court, but would have practiced on it with his teammates just minutes earlier.

However, that’s not the space Ball can operate in just yet.

And the unknown remained when?

“Yeah, I would love to play,” Ball said, when asked if a return this season seemed plausible. “I would never count that out. It’s a long year, I feel like we’re hitting our stride right now, so hopefully I can keep getting better, the team will keep getting better and we can meet up.”

It wasn’t the first time Ball spoke to the media this season. He actually met with a few media members at a charity event last month.

It was, however, the first time he spoke since posting videos on his Instagram account last week, in which he ran on a treadmill, dunked, did some obstacle drills, and was boxing.

All great signs for a 25 year old that has undergone three surgeries on the left knee, including two within a year. But there was also a reality with Ball’s return.

“Obviously I want to play, that’s the goal,” Ball said. “Once I feel I’m comfortable enough playing, whether it’s 70, 80, 90, 100% then I’ll be out there.”

It’s that comfort that he seeks.

Ball admitted that the knee was still sore when he does take those steps in the process, and there was real concern that he will run out of runway for a return this season considering it’s already mid-January and he hasn’t played in an NBA game in just over a year.

“I mean naturally, yeah, everything is on a time schedule, but I’m trying to stay positive, keep my hopes up,” he said, when asked if he could run short on time for the 2022-23 campaign.

One road he wouldn’t even look down, let alone head in that direction, was the idea that this knee issue could be career threatening.

“Nah, I don’t have any concern,” Ball said. “I just think it’s time consuming. I’m only 25, so I’m not too worried about it.”

Not that this has been easy for Ball.

As the Bulls prepared for the Thursday game with Detroit in Paris, and received news that veteran DeMar DeRozan (right quadriceps) was set to return this week, it’s just more sitting around and watching practices, shootarounds and workouts for Ball, all along knowing his strengths have proven to be major weaknesses for this roster without him.

There’s a reason the Bulls have underachieved at 20-24 this season.

“I think [executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas] and [general manager] Marc [Eversley] had a good idea of what they wanted the team to look like and that’s why they brought me in to do what I was supposed to do,” Ball said. “Obviously I’m out right now, and that’s the missing piece of the team.

“I mean it’s the longest I’ve ever been out. I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, so for me it’s a lot, especially just watching the guys every night and watching them go on planes and come back and stuff, and I’m always just watching practice I feel like. I’ve just got to stay positive and do what I can to get on the court.”

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