Chicago Bulls coach reveals latest update on Lonzo Ball's return

Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has given a slightly positive update on Lonzo Ball's injury. Donovan said that Ball is progressing towards running. However, he played down any drastic improvement in his condition and said it would remain a slow process. Here's what he said (via Real GM):

“We haven’t had anything that’s been like, ‘Oh, geez, we’re back at square one.’ It’s just slow unfortunately. It’s just managing the pain and discomfort he’s feeling."

A few weeks ago, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there's no guarantee that Ball will return at all this season. It was a big blow for the Bulls, who have struggled massively this year. Chicago is currently 11-18 and was 19-10 at this stage last season.

One crucial difference is Ball's absence. Since he went down with an injury in January, Chicago frequently lost last season. That trend has carried on this year. The Bulls formed a solid quarter when they added the former No. 2 pick alongside DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.

Lonzo Ball's absence has hurt the team on both ends of the court, especially defensively. As a 6'6" guard with a high IQ on the defensive end, Lonzo would've made a significant difference for the Bulls. Chicago also sorely misses his scoring and playmaking on offense.

They have players like Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosumnu and Coby White in Ball's absence, but in terms of all-around play, Ball is certainly the better option among those. The Chicago Bulls are 18th in defensive ratings and 21st on offense right now, and that could've been better if Ball was available.

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Speculation continues to grow about Chicago Bulls' future with Lonzo Ball sidelined

The Chicago Bulls started last season looking like legitimate perennial playoff contenders. They addressed their roster needs in the offseason and added pieces like Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, who would elevate them to one of the best teams in the East until Ball went down with his knee injury.

The Bulls look nowhere close to the team they were at the start of last season. They need all their key pieces on the floor to make things work. But that doesn't seem likely anytime soon, with Ball not expected to be back until at least after the All-Star break.

Meanwhile, speculation continues to mount about the Bulls breaking up their roster after their dismal 11-18 record. They are out of the play-in and playoff picture, two games behind the tenth-placed Toronto Raptors and six games behind the sixth-placed New York Knicks.

According to several rumors, if there is no drastic improvement, the Chicago Bulls could start to plan for their future and move their star players at the trade deadline. Contending teams around the league have been keeping an eye on their situation too, so it will be interesting to see how things play out with the six-time champs.

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