The Chicago Bulls have gotten very close to full health in the last 10 days, with both Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams returning from extended absences due to injury. However, the Bulls remain without Lonzo Ball in his recovery from a torn meniscus and bone bruise, and the recent news hasn’t been encouraging.
Prior to Monday’s win against Toronto, head coach Billy Donovan provided an update on the Bulls’ starting point guard, noting that Chicago was going to “pull back” on his rehab process. Despite being about seven weeks removed from the injury, after the Bulls gave an initial timeline of 6-8 weeks for a return, Ball’s rehab seems to have stalled out. He’s been unable to advance to the next step in the process, which involves sprinting and moving laterally, as the bone bruise continues to nag him.
Rookie Ayo Dosunmo exceeded all expectations filling-in for Ball and Caruso provides another more than capable replacement, swapping into the starting lineup for Dosunmo the last couple games. Both guards provide outstanding perimeter defense and respectable shooting. Dosunmo has become a menace pushing the pace in transition, while Caruso’s energy and effort provide a sorely needed edge.
Despite all the production from Dosunmo and Caruso, the Bulls really miss Ball on the offensive end, particularly his shooting and creative play-making ability. In the 35 games played before the injury, Ball shot a blistering 42.3% on 7.4 3FG attempts per game, both of which lead the team (excluding Patrick Williams and his 44.4% mark on just nine total attempts this year). Efficiency is usually sacrificed as volume increases, but Ball was enjoying career high marks in field goal percentage (42.3%), 3-point field goal percentage (42.3%), and true shooting percentage (57.5%).
In a lineup that includes Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, both of whom rank top-20 in usage rate, not to mention Nikola Vucevic and his 16.1 field goal attempts per game, Ball was a perfect fit. Because of his proficiency and willingness to shoot from deep, he’s a legitimate threat without the ball in a way that Caruso and Dosunmo are not.
More importantly, Ball is Chicago’s best passer and one of the most creative playmakers in the league. His 5.1 assists per game tie him with DeRozan for the team lead, despite spending significantly less time on the ball than DeRozan. Ball is constantly looking to push the ball up the floor and has the ability to place passes perfectly, applying pressure to the defense and creating runouts for his teammates.
Through January 14, the last game Ball played, the Bulls ranked fifth in offensive rating at 112.1. From January 15 through March 22, Chicago ranks 14th in offensive rating and has dropped to 11th overall on the season.
DeRozan and LaVine both appear to be feeling the effects of the uptick in minutes due to Ball’s absence, along with the lack of clean looks Ball creates. Through January 14, LaVine shot 49.2 on field goals and 41.2% on 3-point field goals, compared to just 45.4%/37.7% since Ball went out. DeRozan has hit a bit of a wall here in March, shooting 44.8% from the field, compared to 50.6% overall this year.
Donovan hasn’t ruled out Ball returning this year, and Chicago fans will be hoping he can get over this plateau in his progression back to the court. As each possession takes on more meaning in a postseason series, Ball’s ability to make shots, push the pace, and create easy opportunities for teammates will be crucial.
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