Há exatos 2 anos, Lonzo Ball jogava sua última partida de basquete (pelo menos até agora) Ele era especial 🥹
Lonzo Ball: Two years since last game played with the Chicago Bulls
NBAMonday, 15 January 2024 at 22:44
The Chicago Bulls have faced a decline in performance in part due to the absence of point guard Lonzo Ball, who's last game played was in January 2022. Ball's unique skills, involving his teammates and impacting both offensive and defensive ends were crucial to the team's objectives and held a record of 27-13 in the 40 games that he played.
Since his injury, the Bulls' regular-season record dropped to 78-88. Ball's ability to push the pace, conduct team's offense, and provide accurate 3-point shooting significantly improved the potential of key players like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vučević.
Ball has been dealing with knee issues, undergoing three surgeries since January 2022, with the latest involving a cartilage transplant in March 2023. Despite the challenges, Ball remains optimistic about a healthy returning, as he stated his intention to play again during the Bulls media day last October.
“Rehab has been long. It feels like every day is almost the same. But I'm getting better each week and that's all I can ask for. It feels good to be around the guys. You can feel a new energy in the building, at least coming from my point of view."
“The surgery was a really big surgery. We were all together and came together with a plan moving forward. It's not really a set timeline. But I pretty much have this whole year to get as healthy as possible and be ready to go next season.”
Although he's ruled out for the season, Ball is expected to start running this month. The Bulls face a payroll near the luxury tax threshold, and they might be considering using Ball's player option for next season in potential trade scenarios. The team holds a $10.2 million disabled player exception for Ball until March 10, likely to go unused. If Ball remains on the Bulls and is unable to return next season, a provision could exempt his player option from salary cap and luxury tax figures. The focus for both Ball and the Bulls is on his recovery and regaining full health.
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