(670 The Score) The injured Bulls players who are sidelined from action are gradually taking steps toward returning.
Guard Lonzo Ball has "ramped up" his running lately, coach Billy Donovan said Wednesday, as he rehabs after undergoing left knee surgery in late January. Ball's timeline for a return could be as early as the latter half of March assuming he continues to progress well.
Forward Patrick Williams (wrist) is doing on-floor work with the basketball, but he hasn't been cleared for contact yet. He still needs to strengthen his left wrist, which he had surgery on in late October after suffering torn ligaments.
"He's progressed well," Donovan said. "The biggest thing is going to be when is he actually cleared for practice? Because I think once we get to that date, where the doctors feel like, OK, he can now participate in practice full contact, now you got to have a little bit of a ramp-up period for him before he actually goes into a game. I just don't what that date is yet."
Bulls guard Alex Caruso was on the floor after practice Wednesday, but he hasn't been cleared for basketball activities with his fractured right wrist, which remains in a brace. The hope is Caruso will be cleared for shooting and dribbling with his injured wrist late this week or early next week, Donovan said.
A player the Bulls (38-21) will have back when they host the Hawks (28-30) on Thursday at the United Center is star guard Zach LaVine, who missed the final three games before the All-Star break due to left knee soreness. Donovan previously mentioned the Bulls will look into managing LaVine's workload, but the team hasn't formalized anything in that regard. The plan will be to keep an open lines of communication with LaVine and scale back if he's feeling any knee soreness.
"How does he respond coming off a game the next day?" Donovan said. "Does he feel back-to-backs are something he can do? I think in his meetings with the doctors, they're all comfortable with him playing. It's all really how he's doing once he gets back to playing on a consistent basis. Right now, he feels good."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
