After a week of pessimism and coping, it appears the Chicago Bulls and their fanbase have some optimism regarding Lonzo Ball’s injury status. Following a successful arthroscopic debridement, it was reported earlier today that the Bulls feel confident and optimistic about Lonzo’s chances to return to play this year.
Prior to this news, the Chicago Bulls were likely going to rely on a point-guard-by-committee approach banking on Alex Caruso, Goran Dragic, and emerging second-year player Ayo Dosunmu.
While Caruso and Dragic have had their own share of issues staying healthy, Dragic is a proven scorer while Caruso has the makings of an elite defender.
Meanwhile, Ayo showed flashes of being a potential long-term starter throughout his rookie season and while unfortunately, he hit a rookie wall down the stretch, he looks poised to enter his second year stronger (both physically and mentally) to take on the challenge of competing against the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
However, while there were reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming Chicago Bulls season – including Ayo – most of these storylines were overshadowed by the uncertainty surrounding Lonzo Ball’s knee, especially after his press conference where he expressed that he still feels pain even walking up the stairs.
If the Chicago Bulls get Lonzo Ball back by the All-Star break, their ceiling for the 2022-23 season raises exponentially.
Last season, Lonzo Ball played 35 games and when he went down with his injury the Bulls were 1st place in the East. Now, even with an improved eastern conference, the Chicago Bulls (with a healthy Lonzo) could be talented enough to avoid the play-in tournament and make the playoffs for the second straight season.
Should Lonzo miss the whole season, which is still on the table at this point, the Chicago Bulls may have to rely on the play-in tournament if they are to make the playoffs this year.
There are a lot of interesting storylines to follow with respect to the Bulls this year as they chose to pursue continuity while their competition all bolstered their rosters in major ways.
Chief among them is the growth of Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu, development which the front office is surely banked on when deciding to remain inactive in free agency this summer.
Now, with some clarity on Lonzo Ball’s injury, there may be some hope after all that the Chicago Bulls could field a complete and healthy team this season.
