Three games after his NBA comeback, Lonzo Ball is injured again.
Fortunately, the injury is not due to his problematic left knee, which required three surgeries and caused him to miss more than two seasons with the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls announced Tuesday that Ball suffered a sprained right wrist during Monday’s 126-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The injury will be reassessed in ten days.
Ball returned this season after missing the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with his ailing left knee. He was first sidelined in January 2022 with what was initially diagnosed as a bone bruise in his knee. The injury was later diagnosed as a meniscus tear requiring surgery. Ball was initially given a six-to-eight week timetable to return, but sat out the remainder of the 2021-22 season after continuing to experience discomfort in his knee.
Prior to the start of the 2022-2023 season, Ball underwent arthroscopic debridement surgery to address complications from his initial knee injury and procedure. The Bulls announced at the time that he would be reevaluated in four to six weeks. He missed the entire season and underwent a third procedure before it was over.
In March 2023, Ball underwent a cartilage transplant and a rare meniscus transplant that required a new meniscus from a donor. That procedure forced Ball to sit out the entire 2023-24 season and raised concerns that the former No. 2 overall pick might not play basketball again.
But he was cleared to play before the start of this season. In Chicago’s first three games, Ball averaged 4.7 points, 3.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range. He did this in a reserve role in 15.7 minutes per game.
He and the Bulls certainly expect him to return from his wrist injury significantly sooner this time.
