Can Lonzo Ball come back for the Bulls? | Devine Intervention

Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Dan Devine and Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer discuss the outlook for the upcoming season for the Chicago guard, who has sat out the past two seasons with a knee injury. Listen to the full conversation on “Devine Intervention” – part of Ball Don't Lie – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

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Video transcript

Alonzo Ball played about 30 games in his first year in 2012 and led the Chicago Bulls to first place in the Eastern Conference before injuries made his life difficult.

He pretends to be back.

He does pods with this guy who advances the ball over and under the line, 35 games for Chicago this year.

And this after I had to sit out two seasons in a row due to a knee injury.

He has, you know, you'll like, this time last year, we were wondering if you can literally stand on a chair.

We weren't Stephen A. Smith, which was okay, but I'm going to blast it for sheer vibe.

I'm going to go through it and say that I want the correct answer to be that he plays more than 35 games, because Loso obviously never developed into the professional we hoped he would, right?

In order.

I, I, what I'm trying to figure out and categorize, um, what I'm saying though is he's the number two pick in the draft, right?

And so de wild, as I would tell you, I'm sure he would.

But the idea is that when you recruit someone, you hope they succeed and become a superstar, right?

And I think we saw the best version of Alonzo Ball that we've ever seen. He's a real elite complementary player, kind of the star in his role, kind of a role player, like the guy when he was healthy in New Orleans and actually turned up the three-point shot and the volume, and he was this forward-thinking monster that fed Zion, right?

And not on the invoice version from Tyres.

Halliburton.

I think that's a fair point of view, right?

Like someone who fuels your attack and makes you move faster.

But also that Halliburton obviously makes up for this with his great offensive performance, but on defense he is someone who has to be outmaneuvered.

Alonso, an excellent defender on and off the ball, was the best version of this Bulls team. He and Caruso wreaked havoc with the best deflections and ball wins, driving the transition game.

So I wouldn't expect that level of professional productivity and impact after missing two seasons in a row.

But the idea of ​​him being back on the pitch at 27 and being able to play at least half of the season without restrictions is like being back on the pitch.

I want to believe in it.

So I will say: stop it.

Yes, I agree.

About Alonzo.

We're keeping our fingers crossed for you, buddy.

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