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Lonzo Ball is nearing reevaluation following the second surgery on his left knee, but Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan said a date hasn’t been set for the next step in the point guard’s recovery process.
Ball underwent arthroscopic surgery Sept. 28 in Los Angeles to treat an lingering meniscus injury. At that time, the Bulls set a four-to-six-week window for Ball to recover from the surgery, after which he would be reevaluated by the Bulls medical team and his doctors.
Wednesday marked four weeks since the surgery, but Donovan said the Bulls medical team hasn’t set a date for the reevaluation to occur.
“I have not heard anything as of yet,” Donovan said before Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers at the United Center. “(The medical team) have not come to me and nor did I go to ask them.”
Donovan said he doesn’t anticipate Ball will need to go back to Los Angeles for the reevaluation. Since returning to Chicago the week after the surgery, Ball has been working consistently in the weight room during Bulls practices at the Advocate Center, performing lower-body workouts that include weighted squats.
Even if Ball is cleared in the next two weeks to take the next step in his recovery, the road to returning to the court will be a long one.
Ball hasn’t played basketball or run at full speed since a Jan. 14 game against the Golden State Warriors. After undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus in January, Ball struggled to return to activity first because of a bone bruise in his left knee, then a “surprising” amount of lingering pain that forced the second procedure in September.
Donovan said the Bulls feel “positive” about Ball’s progress, but there still isn’t a timeline for him to return to contact drills or practice.
“I see him. He’s feeling good. He feels like he’s progressing,” Donovan said. “He’s optimistic and positive about everything. … The biggest thing just through the surgery is the incision healing to continue to progress. I just don’t know how far along he is in that process.”
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