NEW ORLEANS - There has to be more than 16 minutes per game left in Lonzo Ball's surgically repaired left knee. At least that's what the Bulls are hoping for when it comes to their reserve point guard.

It won't be anytime soon, however.

Billy Donovan made that very clear on Wednesday, after speaking to the team's medical staff about it one more time during the morning shootaround and was told "it's going to be that way for some time."

"That's not to say the minutes can't increase," the coach said of the current minutes restriction for Ball. "They can, but for right now there's going to be a period of games - how many games I'm not sure - but they want to evaluate him at that number just to see how he responds for a period of time."

Ball, who has had three left knee surgeries since last playing an NBA regular-season game on Jan. 14, 2022, made his return in a game that mattered against the Pelicans, but like he did in the two preseason games he played in, he did so with a restriction of 16 minutes, and the Bulls aren't going to budge from that.

"It is what it is right now, so try and thrive in my role and help the team win," Ball said.

What Donovan is counting on - for not only Ball's sake, but the team's - is he can slowly climb to 18-20 and then beyond. Sitting out a game in back-to-backs might go on all season long, but as long as the knee holds with each game, the hope is the minutes can increase.

"I think for him he's been able to wrap his head around, 'This is my new norm, this is my reality, this is what I have to deal with.' " Donovan said. "So I think he's prepared himself for that."

Evident by the fact that his first shot against the Pelicans was a made three. Another reason why his teammates continue embracing everything Ball has done in this comeback.

"I have so much respect for him, going through what he's been through," veteran center Nikola Vucevic said. "Two-and-a-half years of the unknown, being alone, not really knowing what it is.

"As a young player you want to be out there. You miss three or four games and it sucks, so for him I can't imagine what he's been through."

During a podcast interview with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp was asked about his basketball days at Davis High School in Washington and the rumor that he had locked up a young Zach LaVine in a quarterfinal state championship game.

"He ended up with 14," Kupp said, admitting that only four points came when he guarded LaVine. "I didn't play the fourth quarter though. I'm going to admit that I played pretty good defense that game, but all I did was not let him shoot a three-pointer. Make him drive, help defense."

A fish tale or truth? LaVine, who attended Bothell High, didn't deny it happened, although the details were still up for debate.

"I had no idea who he was, a little white dude guarding me, and they straight kicked our ass," LaVine said. "They doubled me, Cooper Kupp was picking me up full court. I didn't have a good game. I think I only had 18 or 20, but yeah, they got us."

When told Kupp said it was only four on him, LaVine said, "Look man, whatever it was I didn't play well. He can say whatever he wants. I remember that game like it was yesterday."

Donovan usually likes to stick with a nine-man rotation but admitted that because of the up-tempo style of play he will stretch that to at least 10 most nights. By the second quarter against New Orleans, he was already going 11 players deep.