CHICAGO – Bulls guard Lonzo Ball said he is “full of joy” preparing for his first NBA game in more than two years, but also acknowledged he won’t be the same player he was in his last appearance on the Place in January 2022.

“It’s not the same body I started with,” Ball said after Wednesday’s shooting. “But I think I can still be productive and effective on the pitch. That’s why I’m still trying to play.”

The ball cannot be longer than 16 minutes in Wednesday night’s preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He last played in a game for Chicago on January 14, 2022. Since then, he has undergone three arthroscopic procedures on his left knee, including a rare double cartilage transplant in March 2023.

“Long. Really long,” Ball said with a laugh as he looked back on his recovery process. “But looking back, it happened a lot quicker than I thought. … They told me that recovery would take another 18 months (after the third surgery), that sounds crazy right now, but here I am. “It’s all behind me now.”

In his first season in Chicago in 2021-22, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 42% shooting in 35 games.

Throughout the recovery process, Ball, who turns 27 later this month, remained confident that he would return to the court and sought the opinions of several knee specialists until he found a path to recovery.

“I think it’s believing in myself – knowing what I felt, knowing I was at a good age to come back from it,” Ball said. “I just trust the doctors and the people around me .”

In August, Ball was cleared to participate in 5-on-5 games. He arrived at the Bulls’ facility a few weeks before training camp to train with the rest of the team. He had expected to make his preseason debut earlier in the schedule, but was set back a few days after a positive COVID test.

Ball also experienced bouts of muscle soreness throughout the preseason, which he said is to be expected. He stressed that both he and the team will have to manage his workload and playing time this season.

“We have it well under control at the moment, but I think that will change as the year goes on,” Ball said. “Every day will be a different challenge that we just have to overcome.”