What Can the Bulls do with Lonzo Ball?

As shown by Sports Illustrated, along with many other Bulls-based articles, the Bulls organization is unsure that Lonzo Ball will play basketball again. Of course, many fans had their concerns about something like this happening. Specifically, Ball has missed more than half of the 2021-22 season and the entire 2022-23 season. Meaning that he hasn’t played professional basketball in almost two years.

That significant time was missed mainly due to lots of ankle and knee injuries. Many fans are aware that once years start to pass with a player’s recovery process, it’s a telltale sign of a declining/ending career.

Now, with those concerns confirmed, it raises questions about not only Ball’s impact but also the Bulls organization moving forward.

What the Bulls are Missing (Probably)

As displayed on NBA.com, the Bulls were:

-5^th in defensive rating with 111.5

-16^th in 3-point percentage with 36.1%

-20^th in assists with 24.5

If Ball was on the roster, he likely would’ve improved many of these areas.

Defensively, Ball was essential as shown by the highlights below:

Lonzo Ball Defensive Highlights From The 2021-2022 Season!

As shown, Ball was active on defense and could slow down many of the league’s elite guards, and, at times, forwards, too. That effort inspires the rest of the team to do the same.

Basically, without injuries, there’s a high chance the defense goes from 5^th to at least top 3.

Regarding the 3-point shot, before the injury (as shown on Basketball Reference) Ball averaged seven attempts, making 42.3% of them. If he was still playing today with that same efficiency, he’d have around the highest 3-point attempts with the highest percentage.

That would increase their team’s 3-point percentage, possibly helping them make top 13 or even 10.

Finally, his play would, without a doubt, increase their assist numbers.

As shown on Basketball.RealGM.com, Ball averaged 5.09 assists in the 2021-22 season and 6.2 assists for his career. Of course, these assists numbers aren’t great, but they demonstrate another aspect of his game that isn’t shown through the box score: his vision.

Here are some highlights displaying that vision below:

Lonzo Ball’s Most Incredible Passes

As shown, Ball was always good at scanning the floor and making the right pass, even if it was difficult. Of course, that didn’t always lead to assists, but it always put his teammates in good positions to shoot or pass themselves.

Essentially, with someone like him still playing, the Bulls’ team assists would likely go from 20^th to top 16/15. However, since he’s been injured for so long, that might be hard to expect.

The Next Steps

However, with that said, since it’s highly likely he, at the very least, won’t be playing for a long time, what should the Bulls do now? Should they try to trade him? If they do, who will take the risk? Should they keep him and release him after his contract ends? If so, how much money would they take off their cap space? How many trades would they miss out on?

Honestly, the answer is up to the front office. This is a difficult decision and, either way, it seems that both parties will lose something when the final decision is decided.

And, whatever happens, hopefully, Ball gets better physically and mentally.

Stay tuned for more NBA content, including midseason moves, contract updates, and more pieces about every team.

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