The Chicago Bulls’ 2022 offseason makes far more sense now

When Lonzo Ball was first injured back in January of 2022, the Chicago Bulls certainly didn’t anticipate an extended absence.

But, that’s exactly what happened when Ball was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Sadly, Ball has not yet been able to resume basketball activities. Bulls fans have seen many injury updates over the past few months, and each one has seemed to offer similar worries.

The majority of updates have seemed as though Ball’s progress has been stagnant, with hope that eventually, he’d be able to ramp up. Each time he’s tried to ramp up his recovery, pain has been staggering and Ball has not been able to get past it.

Tuesday, Ball spoke to media via Zoom and offered us all another update. This time, it seemed far more serious than before and has many questioning whether or not he’ll play at all this coming season.

Ball’s comments about his knee are concerning, to say the least, but that’s nothing new. What’s more alarming is that he went on to say that he can barely go up the stairs without pain.

“It’s every day. Even going up the stairs and stuff, it’s painful.”

Over his career, Ball has endured quite a bit in terms of injuries. At just 24 years old, one would think and hope he still has plenty of basketball left in the tank.

But, just in case he doesn’t, the Bulls come into this season well-prepared.

When Chicago drafted Arizona point guard Dalen Terry in the first round this year, some wondered why they would make a move like that. Terry is eerily similar to Ball, which is great to have another tall point guard who excels in all the little areas.

But, with Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White and Alex Caruso still on the roster, along with Ball, it started to look a little crowded in the back court.

Then, the Bulls also signed veteran Goran Dragic — which came as a surprise, too.

The Dragic signing truly put a different view on Ball’s future, because there was no way the Bulls were going into this season knowing Ball would play, while also keeping three other point guards (you could argue four) on the roster.

With Ball’s most recent update, and straight from himself, this offseason is shaping up to look like a wise one. The Bulls protected themselves by going into the season with plenty of point guard depth, including veteran depth with the Dragic signing.

Hopefully, Ball’s surgery will end successfully and with a positive trajectory from there on out. But in the mean time, the Bulls’ point guard depth is going to allow the team to breathe a bit easier while they wait for their star.