Lonzo Ball Stats Tonight: How did Bulls point guard fare vs. Pelicans? (Oct. 23) 

The New Orleans Pelicans faced off against the Chicago Bulls in their season opener on Wednesday, a game that also marked guard Lonzo Ball’s return to regular-season action for the first time since January 2022. Knee problems had sidelined Ball for several seasons, but after returning in the preseason, he is now poised to be a key contributor off the bench for the Bulls.

Before the game, Bulls coach Billy Donovan noted that Ball would be limited to 14-16 minutes of playing time as the team continues to monitor his recovery. He ended up playing 13 minutes and 39 seconds, tallying five points and four assists.

The Pelicans defeated the Bulls, 123-111, with Brandon Ingram leading the way with 33 points and C.J. McCollum adding 23.

Here are Lonzo Ball’s stats from tonight's game:

PLAYER	MIN	PTS	AST	REB	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	STL	BLK	TO	PF	=+/-
Lonzo Ball	13:39	5	4	2	2	4	50.0	1	3	33.3	0	0	0.0	0	2	0	0	1	2	4

The guard's comeback story was nothing short of impressive, considering the career-threatening injuries he faced. His troubles began with a torn meniscus, which caused him to miss part of the 2021-22 season. He later had an arthroscopic debridement to remove debris from that procedure. In March 2023, Ball underwent a revolutionary third surgery — a cartilage transplant to replace the damaged meniscus.

LaVar Ball blames NBA conditioning regime for Lonzo Ball’s injury

In an April 2024 interview with CBS Sports, LaVar Ball, father of NBA players LaMelo and Lonzo Ball, criticized the NBA's conditioning programs, blaming them for his sons' frequent injuries.

"They say, ‘Oh, LaVar, you worked the boys out too hard – that's why they hurt.’ No, the reason they hurt is because they got away from me,” LaVar said.

“And they start doing these roody-poo workouts. Because if you keep running them hills, you're going to keep that power and that strength. But you start dealing with these rubber bands and doing this lightweight stuff, of course you're going to start breaking down," he added.

In his comeback season, Lonzo is expected to play a bench role. During the offseason, the Bulls traded Alex Caruso for young guard Josh Giddey from the OKC Thunder.

LaVar Ball said his son Lonzo Ball could thrive in any role:

"What Lonzo does, he makes everybody better around him," LaVar said. "He's been like that all his life. So when people used to be like, 'Oh, he's going to the Bulls and he's the fourth option,' and this and that, that doesn't go into his head."