Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball still isn’t close to returning to the court, according to head coach Luke Walton, who told reporters today that there’s a possibility Ball misses the rest of the 2018/19 season (Twitter links via Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).
Ball, who will be re-evaluated on Saturday, hasn’t done any on-court work besides dribbling drills and stand-still shooting, per McMenamin. Ganguli notes that the Lakers’ priority is to make sure Ball gets 100% healthy and has a full offseason, rather than rushing him back to play in a few games at the end of ’18/19.
A left ankle injury has sidelined Ball since January 19, during which time the Lakers have slumped badly and fallen to 11th in the Western Conference. Entering that January 19 contest in which the former No. 2 overall pick got hurt, the Lakers were 25-21. Since then, they’re 5-14.
While the Lakers were always weighing the long-term view for Ball, the team is presumably even more willing to be patient now that its playoff chances have been all but extinguished. We heard on Thursday that LeBron James‘ minutes will be monitored going forward, a strong signal that the franchise is waving the white flag on a postseason push.
Speaking of James, Walton confirmed today that the Lakers will be keeping a close eye on LeBron’s minutes going forward. However, as Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet tweets, Walton said that there’s no official, set-in-stone restriction on the star forward’s minutes. There might be games in which James sees normal minutes if the Lakers are playing well, according to Walton.
This guy was such a terrible waste of that number 2 pick! To think, the Pacers wanted that pick for Paul George ans we decided to keep it and draft this guy. Really disgusted with this team right now. They better figure it out. Need to clean a lot up this off season.
Agree they should have traded the pick for PG. But Lonzo is still a decent player, just injruy prone. Hopfully he can stay healthy next year if he is still a Laker
I agree, he is a decent player. Heck of a defensive player and all around his game is good and I’m fine with him not being a scorned because everything else he brings to the table makes up for that but the injury stuff is not good. In two seasons he’s barely played. We need someone who can play most of the season not half the season.
Patience is a virtue. Steph Curry’s first few years were plagued by injuries as well. D-lo had knee issues with the Lakers and in his first year in Brooklyn as well.
He looks like a villain from Scooby-Doo.
He shouldn’t. We’re tanking!
Funny this injury happened when the Lakers were talking of sending Lonzo to New Orleans, and Lavar said no.
Funny how? Do you have a theory?
Maybe they could trade him to a team in Lithuania.
They are tanking for a better pick so that pick plus young guys like ingram will be delt for davis. It doesnt take a rocket scientist
Yup!
He i think is not hurting just did not want to get traded wants to stay in L.A. Johnson should had loss he job for listening to his big mouth daddy
Please check for typos. To rehash, the Pels decided not to move AD yet, and the Lakers are not breaking up their young core for anything less. So far.
Big mouth daddy influences nobody.
walton had a good thing going last year. now his days are numbered
If lakers miss playoffs with lebron, then I think Walton is done.