The dream season that Chicago Bulls fans had been waiting for has the potential to turn into a nightmare after a recent rash of injuries. The last few games for Chicago have been missed by Lonzo Ball and LaVine. The news out of Chi-town isn't as positive for Ball as it is for LaVine.
Ball will have surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. We might see Ball back on the court in March, since his timetable is set for about six weeks of recovery. The timing of the injury couldn't be worse for the Bulls, with LaVine also missing time.
The number one seed in the Eastern Conference is being lost by the Chicago Bulls because of LaVine's absence. The team is just 5-5 over their last 10 games and are in a tie for first place in the conference with the Miami Heat. Their recent downward trend might be extended because of Lonzo's absence.
The Bulls team has shown perseverance in the face of adversity all year, but will be challenged over the next few weeks without Lonzo. The NBA had to put 10 Bulls and two commentators into the health and safety protocol due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The pulled Jenga piece may have been the cause of the collapse. Chicago is holding onto first place by a thread a month later. The point is that they are hanging on.
In Ball's absence, others will need to step up. The responsibility should fall on the shoulders of players like Alex Caruso. White scored 16 points in 38 minutes for Chicago. After being out for over a month due to health and safety protocols and a foot injury, Caruso scored nine points in his return to the lineup. His return couldn't have been better, considering the Lonzo injury news.
While Ball is recovering from surgery, his defensive production will be vital, as his calling card has been defense during his career. Ball is hard to replace on this roster because of his all-around game. It is difficult to replace Lonzo with someone who will do the same things, because he does so many things well and has improved in many areas.
Ball has grown into controlling the pace of a game on both ends. The Bulls can stay at the top of the conference until Zo returns. Ball is becoming one of the best traditional point guards in the game. A player who does not need to score 20 points to have an effect. I know LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are the headliners for the Bulls, but Ball has proven to be just as important a part of this trio as the other two.
The fairytale season in Chicago should continue for the rest of the year. If this team is going to make a deep run in the playoffs, they will need Lonzo back on the floor as soon as possible.
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