Pistons Rival Facing Tough Challenge With Another Lonzo Ball Injury

The Chicago Bulls could potentially miss Lonzo Ball in their first meeting with the Pistons next month.

Oct 20, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) as Detroit Pistons forward Trey Lyles (8) defends during the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images / Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls are still weeks away from their first meeting of the 2024-2025 NBA season. A lot can change over time, but the Pistons rivals are currently dealing with a notable setback to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is dealing with a right wrist sprain. There isn’t a target return date set in stone, but Ball will miss at least ten days.

Oct 23, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) looks to pass against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

The Bulls veteran is now slated to miss the next five games at minimum.

Detroit doesn’t pop up as early as next week. The two rivals will meet for the first time on November 18. The last time Ball competed against the Pistons was on January 11, 2022.

For the past two seasons, Ball has been recovering from a knee injury. Many wondered if the Bulls guard would get a chance to play again. His unfortunate injury occurred during his first season with the Bulls. Ball faced the Pistons three times that year before going out.

On October 23, Ball returned to the court to make his highly-anticipated debut for the 2024-2025 NBA season. He checked in for 13 minutes off the bench against the New Orleans Pelicans. During that time, Ball hit two of his four shots to score five points. He got the next game off.

Over the Bulls’ last two matchups, Ball averaged 17 minutes off the bench. He produced five points on 33 percent shooting from deep during the short stretch.

Ball now heads back to the injury report for some time. After starting the year 3-2, Chicago will see how they fare without their second unit’s playmaking guard for some time once again.