CHICAGO — Chicago BullsGuard Lonzo BallHe said that he is still at a “standstill” in his recovery after a torn meniscus in the left knee. Next week, he will see a knee specialist to determine the next steps in his recovery.
Ball underwent arthroscopic surgery to his knee in January. The team gave an initial timeline for recovery of six to eight weeks. However, his knee did not respond to the team's efforts to get him back to basketball in March. He was then forced to rest in April.
Ball stated, “We kinda let it calm down for two weeks. I was going after it pretty hard trying to return as quickly as possible,” during his exit interview at the team practice facility on Thursday. “But as I said, at an absolute standstill. I still feel pain. This summer, I will be able to figure it out.
Ball, who had his last game Jan. 14, did not know if he would need to have another surgery during the offseason.
He said, “Hopefully not.” “I wouldn’t want to have another one. If that's the case, I have no other choice.
Ball underwent a procedure in July 2018 to repair a meniscus tear from the same knee. He returned for training camp in July 2018, while he was still a member. Los Angeles Lakers. He also had a bone bruise in his leg, but was not sure if this or the meniscus tears were causing the discomfort to persist.
Ball stated, “It's one tear, it is the second time that I tore it.” It's obvious that something must be done this summer. It's likely that there will be more leg work than for the upper body. I will work with the doctors, the strength coaches, and do whatever I can to stay healthy.
He played 35 games with Chicago his first season, which was a career low in terms of games played over his five-year career. He averaged 14.0 points, 5.4 rebound and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 42.3%.
Ball described the end of his season as “very frustrating”. “This year, there was a lot of promise that I felt. There were a lot goals we set that didn't get met due to many health issues. It's impossible to change the past. Everything happens for a reason. For me, it's all about moving forward and getting prepared for next year.