![\"Lonzo](\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lonzo-Balls-return.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAfter having his comeback tour put on pause, Lonzo Ball is back on track.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Chicago Bulls\u2019 guard appeared in three of the team\u2019s first four games of the year before suffering a wrist injury. He would go on to miss 15 consecutive games before finally getting the green light to return on Nov. 27. Since then, the Bulls have continued to approach his workload with an abundance of caution. We\u2019ve seen Ball average only 17.4 minutes of action over his last five games.<\/p>\n
Still, Ball has found a way to finish as a plus contributor in all but one of those games. While the stints have been short, he\u2019s surprisingly looked a lot like his former self. We\u2019ve watched him shoot 36.8 percent from long range and finish with 3+ assists in three of the five games. However, what has probably stood out most is his pop on the defensive end. Once among the league\u2019s most versatile backcourt defenders, many expected a drop-off in this department. Even the man himself has\u00a0expressed some shock at how he\u2019s looked on that side of the court. Ball has NINE steals in this five-game stretch (and, again, let\u2019s not forget he\u2019s playing limited minutes).<\/p>\n
Indeed, I have to imagine his activity defensively is the main reason why the Bulls are ready to up his workload. Head coach Billy Donovan told reporters after Sunday\u2019s loss to the 76ers that Ball\u00a0will have his minute restriction upgraded to 20 minutes a night,<\/strong>\u00a0per the Chicago Tribune\u2019s Julia Poe. Ball has only surpassed that number once in his eight games this season (Nov. 29 against Boston).<\/p>\n I know this may not feel like a significant change, but it serves as another sign that Ball is trending in the right direction. Nobody knew how he would respond to NBA speed and athleticism coming into the year. Obviously, we all still need a greater sample size to be convinced Ball can reclaim a full-time rotational role, but this is part of that process!<\/p>\n The last thing to keep in mind is that this is a key step toward potentially boosting his trade value. To be clear, I\u2019m not saying that is the motive behind the decision. I feel positive the Bulls are strictly doing what is best for Ball\u2019s long-term health. However, we know that\u00a0nobody on this roster is off the table, and a healthy Ball could make a lot of sense for contending teams. This is especially true when we consider he\u2019s on an expiring contract.<\/p>\n All I\u2019m saying that is IF Ball is able to continue to see his workload increase, I expect some trade buzz to come with that. He\u2019s just that good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After having his comeback tour put on pause, Lonzo Ball is back on track. The Chicago Bulls\u2019 guard appeared in three of the team\u2019s first four games… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\nLonzo Ball Gets a Minute Boost!<\/h2>\n