Lonzo Ball: 'I want to play more, but we've got to be smart'
Lonzo Ball feels it’s worth it to test his own physical boundaries. But he also doesn’t need more time — a fact that has fueled his own belief in himself. Even in 20 minutes, Ball is one of the most impactful players on the Bulls roster. The team is better with him on the court, plain and simple. And for a guard like Ball, that’s all that matters. “I can do a lot in 20 minutes,” Ball said. “Obviously I want to play more, but we’ve got to be smart. It’s gonna be a slow process. I knew that. I just want to play.”
Source: Chicago Tribune
What's the buzz on Twitter?
Lonzo Ball pushed his minutes restriction, Torrey Craig made an impact off the bench and the Bulls pulled off their first OT win of the year — despite once again combining with the Hornets for 75 missed threes.
chicagotribune.com/2024/12/30/chi… - 11:10 PM
Surprised Lonzo Ball is still out there after 23 minutes - 9:26 PM
Lonzo Ball closing over Josh Giddey and playing up to 22 minutes.
Torrey Craig has been huge down stretch - 9:08 PM
“I just want to play.”
Lonzo Ball is ready to turn the page on the comeback chapter of his career.
Talked about minutes restrictions, living pain free and (finally!) turning his attention forward to the next year and the stage of his recovery.
chicagotribune.com/2024/12/30/lon… - 12:41 PM
Damian Lillard got his pass tipped by Lonzo, somehow recovered the ball, then drove to the basket for a reverse layup and a foul.
Bucks take a 97-95 lead. - 9:57 PM
Lonzo Ball not only fouled a 3-point shooter but foul got upgraded to flagrant-1 following video review. Khris Middleton completed the 4-point play and Damian Lillard scored for 6-point Bucks possession. - 8:58 PM
Khris Middleton just hit a 3-pointer, plus the foul.
But it looked like Lonzo Ball got in his landing space, so it is going to be reviewed for a flagrant foul. - 8:56 PM
Lonzo Ball starting to find his groove poking away balls at the top of the perimeter. Couldn't quite control the ball after flying up court to tip a pass from AJ Green, but still notable to see the way he's moving off the ball on defense. - 8:26 PM
The boys are mostly back tonight - Matas, Lonzo, Giddey all back. Only Ayo and his strained calf will be in street clothes. Ayo is shut down for at least 10 days and then will be re-evaluated. I took a pre-med class at Kent, so I'm basically a doctor. Out til Mid-Jan. - 6:36 PM
Per Billy Donovan:
Josh Giddey; in
Lonzo Ball; in
Matas Buzelis; in
Jalen Smith; out
vs. Bucks - 6:17 PM
More on this storyline
With Ball sidelined for the third straight game due to a combination of left ankle and right wrist soreness, joining Brandon Miller on the bench in street clothes, he was powerless during the Hornets’ 111-108 overtime loss at Spectrum Center. Now, the magic number still sits at three — as in the amount of occasions the Ball brothers have been healthy enough to lock horns. “I think they are too nice to each other,” Miles Bridges said. “I think they don’t like playing against each other. But nah, you want to see them play against each other. They are both very talented and they grew up together. So, you would love those types of matchups. “Hopefully the next time we play against the Bulls, they’ll be able to play against each other.” -via Charlotte Observer / December 31, 2024
Lonzo Ball is ready to turn the page on the comeback chapter of his career. The Chicago Bulls guard isn’t trying to rush things. He’s still playing under a minutes restriction. The medical team still monitors him closely. His presence on the court is still wrapped in an abundance of caution. But the confidence is back. Ball doesn’t feel like a recovery story or an injured player on the mend. He just feels like a hooper — a defender who can disrupt an entire offensive scheme with one tap on the ball, a guard who can crack open any team in transition, a version of himself that he spent the last three years missing. “I’m just starting to get back to me,” Ball told the Tribune. -via Chicago Tribune / December 30, 2024
After the last two years — three surgeries, two missed seasons, one confounding knee injury — Ball had been nearly numbed to the concept of a setback. But that didn’t soften the sheer panic that unfolded when he suffered a Grade 2 wrist sprain in his third game of the season. “I went to the doctor and he was talking about surgery,” Ball said. “I was like, that definitely didn’t cross my mind at all. That can’t be what we’re doing here.” -via Chicago Tribune / December 30, 2024
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Lonzo Ball: 'I want to play more, but we've got to be smart'
