Still a lot of 'What could have been' with former Bull Lonzo Ball
This was supposed to be the part of the season in which Lonzo Ball was unleashed.
That plan was made very public by Kenny Atkinson way back in October, as the Cleveland coach had Ball’s season mapped out.
“Really with (Ball), more than anyone, our goal with him is to have him ready for the playoffs,” Atkinson said then. “There’s a reason this guy was a second overall pick in our league. He’s one of those guys that makes other players better, which is a coach’s dream, right?”
A dream until it’s not.
Ball never looked right after the Bulls traded him to Cleveland for Isaac Okoro last offseason, leaving the Cavs no choice but to finally move off of him with a trade to Utah in February. The Jazz promptly waived him as he now sits at home hoping to get another chance in the NBA.
“I loved him as a player and a guy, and he was so cerebral,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said of Ball on Thursday, reflecting on the frequently-injured point guard. “He was so selfless, that’s really one of the things I admired. To see him have to go through what he went through, to fight to get back, see what he’s going through now, that’s tough for me because it’s almost like what could have been, how good could he have been?”
The big what if with Ball after a serious knee injury back in 2022 cost him over two-and-a-half seasons. Even when he returned, he only showed glimpses of the player he was before the knee betrayed him.
As for Okoro, he has given the Bulls solid wing defense and is actually one of the few roster moves by Arturas Karnisovas that the executive vice president can call a win.
Okoro, who has been sidelined for over a week with a sore knee, is signed through next season and has impressed Donovan in multiple ways.
“He was always a good defensive player in college, but he became this guys that can guard one through four.” Donovan said. “The other part with him that stands out with me is he’s really, really smart. He knows how to play with good players, he knows how to play in screening action with good players. He’s incredibly unselfish in terms of he’s not trying to hunt shots, trying to hunt points. When you talk to him it’s never about him, it’s always about the team and what he has to do to help the team. He looks at the group, looks at the team and thinks, ‘OK, what can I do to help enhance the group.’ “
Eye test
Because he’s getting consistent minutes for really the first time in his NBA career, guard Rob Dillingham said he’s also starting to build chemistry up with his newer teammates.
“That feels great because people might not look at me as your average point guard, but I honestly feel like I can run a team,” Dillingham said. “I might not be the modern day regular point guard out there running the team, but I feel like I can grow in that, add that in playing my game. It will take some time. Building that chemistry definitely helps, especially when it comes to making plays for my team.”
Back-to-sitting
With the Bulls having a back-to-back and Jalen Smith feeling some tightness in the calf that’s sidelined him several games this season, the big man was given Thursday’s game off to rest the injury.
The Bulls don’t play again until Monday, so that gives him plenty of time to rest the calf and get ready for Houston.