Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is back on the court this season after missing two full seasons as he recovered from multiple knee surgeries, and now he's going to be forced to miss more time. Despite the Bulls having Tuesday off, Ball showed up on the injury report with wrist soreness, and it was later announced that the issue is a little more serious than that.
Ball has a right wrist sprain and will miss at least 10 days, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Chicago has been working Ball back into basketball shape, and he has played between 13 and 18 minutes in three of the Bulls' four games. He missed the Bulls' game against the Milwaukee Bucks to rest his knee, and the hope is that he's not forced to miss much more than 10 days due to this wrist issue.
Ball's most recent game, a Bulls win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, was his most encouraging outing yet. He played a season-high 18 minutes and knocked down two three-pointers on four attempts. He also had six assists, showcasing the elite playmaking that made him such a promising prospect before his injuries. Ball also was making an impact on defense and even blocked a shot.
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Ball is going to have difficult mountain to climb when he returns, especially if this injury affects his jump shot at all. He is already being forced to find a rhythm after so much time off while also navigating a very crowded Bulls backcourt that is full of young players. Chicago is currently starting Zach LaVine, Josh Giddey and Coby White and has Ball, Dalen Terry and Ayo Dosunmu coming off the bench.
If Ball can get somewhere close to his best self, he provides a unique weapon for the Bulls to utilize on both sides of the ball. before his injury, he had become a very reliable shooter from the outside despite constantly tinkering with his shot and had earned a reputation as a very good perimeter defender.
