Billy Donovan says Lonzo Ball has yet to sprint and run, but they aren't worried

Lonzo Ball remains far off from a return to the NBA.

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Two years have passed since Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball last played in the NBA. And despite undergoing three surgeries on his injured knee, the last one being a cartilage transplant procedure last year, Ball has yet to run and sprint.

The former UCLA star was initially slated to begin running in January, but according to Bulls coach Billy Donovan, that has yet to happen as the medical team supervising Ball’s rehab is keen on building strength in his leg first.

Lots of mobility work

Ball appeared on NBC Sports Chicago’s broadcast of the Bulls-Sacramento Kings game last Saturday and gave an update regarding his condition, saying he’s trying to keep his spirits up despite the extended absence.

Donovan gave reporters a detailed rundown on what’s been happening with Ball lately and how the team is handling his recovery.

"He’s doing a lot of mobility work," Donovan said.

"He’s doing different things on the court. He hasn’t done any sprinting yet. I think everybody medically is pleased with the way it’s progressing. Some of these movements he’s doing now caused him pain before and aren’t causing him pain. I know there was talk in January of him sprinting. I don’t want to sit here and say he’s behind schedule. I don’t think that’s the case because it’s going well."

Lonzo Ball did not start sprinting in January, but Billy Donovan said that doesn’t mean he’s behind schedule.

“Some of these movements that he’s doing now were things that caused him pain that are not causing him pain (now).” pic.twitter.com/LrdNzhU66K

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) February 2, 2024

Nobody is alarmed by where Ball is in his rehab

Donovan isn’t worried about Ball missing critical points in his recovery timeline.

There was some discussion in January about Ball possibly starting to sprint, but it seems like the team is taking a cautious approach to ensure he fully recovers before returning to more strenuous activities.

"With the injury and the amount of time that he’s been out, he may miss some target dates here and there. But I don’t think anybody is alarmed about it. I think everybody is pretty pleased with the things he’s doing,” Donovan shared.

"The biggest thing for him that hopefully will help him get up to sprinting and running is to build up strength in his leg. That’s what they’re trying to do right now. But in terms of modalities and things he has done, he has responded really well. Until he starts running and cutting and moving, he’s not there yet because they want to get the strength back in his leg."

Ball used to be one of the best two-way players in the league and was a substantial reason why the Bulls contended for the top seed in the Eastern Conference in 2022. He averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and nearly a block per game in his first season with the Bulls.

Lonzo Ball pic.twitter.com/B8Bbo9yz09

— Anthony (@frcplayerbr) February 3, 2024

However, he was limited to only 35 games that season after he injured his knee in a game against the Warriors.

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