(670 The Score) Bulls guard Alex Caruso and forward Patrick Williams still need a couple weeks to strengthen their injured wrists before a return to action becomes a consideration, coach Billy Donovan said Monday evening.
Caruso has been sidelined with a right wrist fracture, which he suffered on Jan. 21. He underwent surgery a few days later.
“The biggest issue for Alex right now is this is the first time he’s been able to get on the floor with the ball and doing stuff,” Donovan said. “Obviously, having his hand in a cast or a splint that he had it in, he’s got to get strength back. He can’t really pass with that. He doesn’t feel comfortable shooting it. There’s not pain. It’s just stiff, and it’s weak. That’s going to take some time to build that up. I think once he gets to that point, then he’ll certainly be cleared for contact. My feeling is it will probably be a couple weeks of doing this.”
Caruso was originally set to be re-evaluated six to eight weeks from the time of his surgery, the team said. Somewhere around that time, he’ll get another scan to ensure the bone is healing properly, Donovan said. Those six to eight weeks weren’t necessarily a return timetable. March 7 will mark the six-week point from his surgery.
Williams continues to rehab his left wrist, in which he tore ligaments in late October. He also underwent surgery.
“It was such a detailed surgery in what they had to do to get the bone back together of when he fractured it, he’s got to go through a pretty extensive ramp-up of strengthening – even like the hand against the wall, pushing off,” Donovan said. “All those kind of things, he’s got to go through. I think there will be for him, again, a couple more weeks where he’s maybe re-scanned to see how he’s progressed.”
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues to rehab from left knee surgery at his expected pace, Donovan said. He’s doing straight-line running. The next steps for him will be change-of-direction running and ramping up his sprints. Ball underwent knee surgery in late January, with the team setting a return timetable of six to eight weeks. That would perhaps put a return in the latter half of March in play.
“They’re all doing pretty well,” Donovan said.
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.