Bulls' Lonzo Ball to Undergo Surgery on Knee Injury; Out 6-8 Weeks
January 20, 2022
Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball will undergo surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee and will miss six to eight weeks.
Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic first reported the injury Thursday. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Ball "is expected to travel to California" for the surgery "in the coming days."
The guard is thriving in his first season in the Windy City. Through 35 games, he's averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He's on pace to set career highs in field-goal percentage (42.3) and three-point percentage (42.3).
The Bulls were one of the more ambitious teams in the offseason, adding Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. While many expected Chicago to improve on an 11th-place finish in 2020-21, few envisioned the team sitting first in the Eastern Conference at 28-15.
Ball's contributions on both ends of the floor have played a role in the Bulls' overachieving.
Head coach Billy Donovan has had to cope without the 24-year-old for stretches. He entered the NBA's health and safety protocols in December, missing five games, and the lingering soreness in his left knee has taken him out of the lineup since Jan. 14.
While not on par with Ball as a playmaker, Caruso is another two-way guard who can run the offense in Ball's absence. Coby White has performed well in a backup role, too, and his usage figures to increase.
