Chicago Sports Today

Chicago Sports News continuously updated

Lonzo Ball out of preseason opener due to COVID

by

It seems that right before fall camp started, Ball fought through a nasty bout of Covid, which left him missing a week of workouts, while also losing some strength and weight. As if attempting to come back from an experimental left knee surgery in which no professional athlete has done successfully wasn’t enough for the veteran point guard. “I think in talking to medical and even my conversations with him, I think there’s still a period of him getting his strength back,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Probably lost out on working out for more than a week (with Covid). Lost some weight, lost some strength. We’re going to be cautious with the buildup.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Lonzo Ball missed the preseason opener on Tuesday, and no, it wasn’t just because of left knee cautiousness … Zo fought Covid… plus a few other tidbits … all in one click …
Read it:
chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2024/10/… – 8:26 PM
Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
Coach Donovan said Patrick Williams may get some time at the 5 tonight. Other than Lonzo everyone else is good to go
5:45 pre @670TheScore @chicagobulls radio network – 6:02 PM
Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
Lonzo Ball will play in pre season according to Coach Donovan but will sit tonight. – 5:40 PM
Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
Lonzo will sit tonight – 5:31 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Coby White says he’s been impressed by how Lonzo Ball has looked in training camp.
“I would think coming back from that injury, there’d be a type of hesitancy. But he’s been aggressive. He’s not shying away from contact. … You can’t really tell he’s been hurt.” – 2:52 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Josh Giddey is on track to play tomorrow but medical will need to assess how he comes out of today, per Billy Donovan.
No setbacks for Lonzo or Josh so far. – 2:14 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Lonzo Ball and Josh Giddey both continue to take contact in practice and scrimmage but Billy Donovan wouldn’t commit to them playing in Tuesday’s preseason opener in Cleveland. Said Ball “still has a ramp-up period” but also didn’t rule him out. – 2:10 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Billy D says still not sure if Lonzo Ball will play in preseason opener tomorrow. – 2:09 PM

More on this storyline

“I think he’s very realistic about where he is physically,” Donovan said. “We’ve got to find a way for him to prolong his career where he can show in these amounts of minutes, he can be a productive player. I also think he understands too, that from a minutes standpoint this is not going to be what it was for him in New Orleans or even what it was for him his first year in Chicago. He’s got to find a way to try and carve out a really good niche for himself. He’s going to have to show that he can do it over the course of the season, but some of that maybe he doesn’t play 82 games. Maybe he plays 65.” -via Chicago Sun-Times / October 8, 2024
Joe Cowley: Lonzo Ball out tonight. -via Twitter @JCowleyHoops / October 8, 2024