Lonzo Ball has not played a game for the Chicago Bulls since January 14 and there's no indication that he'll rejoin the lineup anytime soon. Last week, a report surfaced that he may not play at all this season. However, on Sunday Bulls head coach Billy Donovan provided an update suggesting that the goal remains to get Ball back on the court this season while admitting that it will take quite a bit of time before he is really back up to speed as per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“We haven’t had anything that’s been like, ‘Oh, geez, we’re back at square one.' It’s just slow unfortunately,” Donovan said. “It’s just managing the pain and discomfort he’s feeling.”

The first step in Lonzo Ball's potential return to the court would be to begin running, something he's currently been unable to do without experiencing discomfort in his knee.

Last season Ball was limited to only 35 games before he was shut down for the remainder of the season due to knee issues. He underwent surgery and since then, he hasn't had any setbacks, his body just hasn't responded as well as the Bulls would have hoped.

When healthy, Ball is one of the top playmakers and defensive point guards in the NBA. Coming into the NBA, the knock on him was his shooting, but he's shot over 35 percent from the three-point line the last three seasons. He's a big part of what the Bulls want to do on both ends of the court and they need him back as soon as possible.