Since Bulls guard Lonzo Ball tore his left meniscus in January, rumors about his rehabilitation and recovery have become more worrying.
Ball, 24, missed the remainder of the regular season as well as Chicago’s brief run in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, which finished more than three months after the initial treatment, after being assigned a six- to eight-week recovery timeframe in January.
As the Bulls prepared for the training camp ahead of the 2022-23 season, it was announced that Lonzo Ball is still not able to join the team as he is undergoing another surgery on his left knee in Los Angeles.
Lonzo was not in a condition to attend the media day and address the conference, so he preferred a virtual meeting with the reporters. In this meeting, he gave a detailed update about his injury saying: “I really can’t run or jump. Until I can do those things, I can’t play.
The Los Angeles media contacted Houston’s KSF Orthopaedic Center’s Dr. Michael S. George, a medical expert, to inquire about the worrying Ball’s injury timeline, who looked more closely at the likely causes of Ball’s setbacks and what it means going forward.
Dr. Michael S. George explained the situation
Media person asked several questions and there responses are as follows:
Why did Lonzo Ball undergo another knee procedure?
“Lonzo Ball underwent left arthroscopic knee surgery, also called a knee scope. This is the same knee for which he underwent surgery in January and this is his third surgery on this knee.
“The surgery in January was reportedly to treat a meniscus tear. The usual recovery for such a surgery is typically four to six weeks. The fact that he was not able to return by the end of last year suggests that the knee still had residual issues, which could range from continued inflammation to more meniscus tearing to cartilage damage and arthritis.
Should there be long-term concerns surrounding Lonzo Ball’s recent injury history?
“The exact cause of his continued symptoms would determine his short- and long-term outcome. If the knee has not developed cartilage damage or arthritis, then he would be expected to make a full recovery from the recent surgery with no long-term issues. If there are problems with the knee cartilage, then this could be an issue that continues to linger.”
When can we expect Lonzo Ball to return to play after his latest knee surgery?
“It was reported that he would be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, which suggests that this surgery was a simple debridement of inflamed tissue or meniscus tearing, as opposed to a more complex surgical procedure.
“Even if this surgery solves his problem, it will likely take more time to recover than a typical knee arthroscopy since he has not been able to playfully for so long.”
Bulls have a super busy schedule of games during the preseason and the regular season, but unfortunately, all of them will be played in the absence of Lonzo Ball.
Chicago Bulls are all set to play their first preseason game against Pelicans tonight at 9:30 p.m. Chicago will play four preseason games before moving to the regular season that will start on the 19th of October.
Ball missed his first game against the Celtics with knee soreness on January 15.
January 20, 2022: The Bulls declare that Ball will have arthroscopic surgery because of a “small meniscus injury.” A six- to eight-week comeback window is specified for him.
April 15, 2022: Head coach Billy Donovan said Ball is feeling uncomfortable in his ramp-up process; meanwhile, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Ball is expected to be sidelined for the remaining season.
April 27, 2022: The Bucks eliminated the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, Ball was still inactive throughout the series.
September 27, 2022: In a virtual meeting, Ball explained that he is not able to run or jump and is all set to undergo another surgery.
September 27, 2022: Ball had a successful surgery and Charania reported that we are optimistic that Ball will make a comeback to the team during the 2022-23 season. He further added that Ball is expected to miss at least a few months.
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