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Ball is averaging 7.2 points and 3.5 assists
per game in 30 games this season after he was forced out of the
previous two seasons due to multiple issues with his left knee.
He underwent a cartilage and meniscus transplant in the knee
last year after several procedures failed to fix his injury.
I'm excited for him because of the journey he's had to get back
in between the lines and playing and, obviously, give all the
medical people a ton of credit of helping him get to that
point, Chicago coach Billy Donovan said after Wednesday's loss
to the Minnesota Timberwolves. I think he, really, always has
felt pretty good about his situation here in Chicago, which I
think is great. I think he's been a great inspiration to a lot
of us.
Chicago played without Ball (left knee injury management) on
Wednesday for the second game of a back-to-back after beating
Miami a night earlier. Ball had played eight games in a row but
is still not playing both games of a back-to-back.
He played in 35 games in his first season with the Bulls in
2021-22 before the injuries sidelined him. He made his return in
October.
Chicago reportedly had trade suitors for Ball, but the team
decided to keep him despite seemingly being in a rebuild after
the trade of Zach LaVine to Sacramento over the weekend.
We felt like he was an important piece to that, in terms of
helping people, Donovan said of Ball's impact. He's got a
great IQ. He knows how to play and I think anytime you have a
point guard that's got that kind of IQ, he makes people around
him better.
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