A long time coming: Ball looks ready to help Bulls in long-awaited return to court
A couple of preseason revelations struck the Bulls on Wednesday at the United Center.
They might be better equipped to shoot a heavy dose of 3-pointers than anyone expected, and Lonzo Ball might actually help the cause.
Ball returned to the court for the first time since Jan. 14, 2022, and looked really good. He hit a couple of 3-pointers in the first quarter, added two cutting lay-ins in the third to finish with 10 points in just over 15 minutes.
“A lot of people didn't think this was going to happen,” Ball said after the game. “I know the guys in the locker room did, and I did too.”
Meanwhile, the Bulls drained 16 of 33 shots from 3-point range through three quarters and led by as many as 18 before beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-123. Coby White went 5 of 7 from long range for 23 points, while Zach LaVine added 19.
Ball's journey is familiar by now. After sitting out and getting arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the original prognosis was 6-8 weeks and he would be back for the '22 playoffs. When that didn't happen, Ball had another surgery, then he tried an experimental cartilage transplant procedure in March 2023. Nineteen months later he's back on the court.
“It felt a lot better playing than watching, I'll say that much,” Ball said. “I can't really put into words how I felt out there. I was just blessed, happy to be out there. It was definitely a moment I'll never forget.”
Ball checked in during a timeout midway through the first quarter and received a standing ovation from fans. White waved his arms to help ignite the crowd while other teammates clapped. The second time he touched the ball, Ball drained a corner 3-pointer. In the second quarter he made a steal and successful behind-the-back toss to save it inbounds and also blocked a shot from behind.
After the game Ball said he was looking for an alley-oop from Patrick Williams, but he saw it too late and settled for a reverse layup.
“I can still get up off two (legs),” Ball said. “It's more about the one leg (that's a problem).”
One important question is how will the Bulls use Ball during the regular season. If he stays healthy, it will probably be similar to what they did in this game — three short stints off the bench, one in each of the first three quarters. Eventually, he might be able to play longer, but being part of the starting lineup doesn't seem likely, due to his health status and questionable long-term future with the team.
“I think the biggest thing we've got to figure out is, what does it look like tomorrow?” coach Billy Donovan said. “It's been one thing in practice to be able to manage him where you pull him in and out of drills. We haven't had necessarily a game flow for him.”
When he first joined the Bulls, Ball's most valuable skills were throwing ahead on the fast break and defense. While he delivered some nice half-court alley-oops to LaVine early in that 2021-22 season, his ability to jump into double-teams and quickly recover helped make that Bulls team successful.
Ball has the size to bother taller players and the speed to get to the right spots quickly. When paired with Alex Caruso, who was relentless in patrolling the passing lanes, the Bulls could fluster just about any opponent in fourth quarters. Of course, Caruso is now in Oklahoma City.
The Timberwolves played their regulars Wednesday, which included newcomers Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, who arrived from New York in a trade for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Bulls injury list had players going in both directions. Coby White and Jalen Smith returned after missing a couple of games. Ayo Dosunmu (shoulder), Julian Phillips (knee), Dalen Terry (knee) and Matas Buzelis (shin contusion) were out. Donovan said Buzelis was kicked in the leg during the game in Milwaukee on Monday and sat out as a precaution.
Talen Horton-Tucker, the guard from Simeon who made some noise with the Lakers a few years ago, again played a significant role, scoring 17 points. He seems like a good bet to make the Bulls' final roster.
Ball’s preseason debut was delayed because he caught COVID and was out of commission for a few days. He said the plan is to play again Friday in the final preseason game against Cleveland. The Bulls open the regular season in New Orleans next Wednesday.