Just when the Chicago Bulls thought they had managed to rid themselves of their recent COVID-19 outbreak, the virus came biting back. According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls are losing star point guard Lonzo Ball to COVID-19 protocols. This comes on the heels of the Bulls losing Tony Bradley and Alfonzo McKinnie to the league's health and safety protocols on Sunday morning.
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is entering Covid protocols, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 26, 2021
The Bulls only just got back several players from the health and safety protocols, with the likes of Zach LaVine, Troy Brown Jr., Matt Thomas, and Ayo Dosunmu having had returned earlier in the week.
Ball will join Mckinnie, Bradley, and head coach Billy Donovan in the league's protocols, forcing the guard to miss Sunday night's clash with the Indiana Pacers. Ball is the 15th player to enter the NBA's health and safety protocols in 2021, and the 11th in the month of December alone.
With Ball on the sideline, Coby White is expected to see an increased role for Sunday's clash, and possibly a few games beyond that. The Bulls also play on Monday and Wednesday, with both games against the Atlanta Hawks, who are dealing with their own COVID-19 outbreak.
On the year, Ball has averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, while knocking down 3.1 3's per game at an efficient 41.7% clip. He's averaging 34.2 minutes per game for the Bulls, so his absence will be a significant blow, especially considering how many Bulls players are currently, or have recently been, sidelined. With three games over the next four days, Ball's absence could end up having a significant impact on the Bulls standing in the East, where they currently occupy the second seed at 19-10.
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