Lonzo Ball is making waves in Cleveland. According to early reports from Cavaliers training camp, the veteran guard has been turning heads with his play and showing flashes of why he could be a real fit for the team’s rotation, even as questions linger about his health and availability.
“From what I continue to hear, Lonzo Ball is somebody who continues to turn heads,” wrote Chris Fedor. “He continues to show how he can be an effective fit for this team. Obviously there are questions about how much is he going to play in the regular season, is he going to play back-to-backs? Can he make it through a regular season fully healthy, but he’s showing glimpses of why, number one, he’s a better, more impactful player than Isaac Okoro.”
Lonzo Ball’s basketball journey has not been an easy one. He’s only played two of the last four seasons for a combined 70 games. Injuries, particularly related to his knee, almost completely derailed his career and Ball says he was nearly pushed to retirement. It was extensive pain that nobody could solve, but Lonzo fought through it and he’s ready for a fresh start with the Cavs.
While the Cavaliers will be taking a cautious approach with Ball, he’s showing enough in training camp for them to believe he can make a massive difference in the backcourt. At the very least, he brings elite playmaking and ball handling off the bench as well as expert-level defense on the perimeter.
Lonzo, 27, was drafted second overall in 2017. After two seasons in Los Angeles, where he showed promise as a two-way guard, he was traded to the Pelicans where he peaked in 2020-21 with averages of 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 41.4% shooting. Then, following a turbulent tenure with the Bulls, which saw his downfall, Ball had to work his way back and the progress is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are hoping that his presence will elevate their chances in the East. With Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs have a solid core in place that won 64 games last season. If Lonzo Ball can stay healthy and make an impact in the backcourt, it will make them even harder to beat and very flexible against all kinds of matchups.
For a team in win-now mode, Lonzo’s skills are particularly useful but they’ll need him to stay healthy for it to count. Fortunately, he’s showing signs of a drastic improvement that could quickly become one of the league’s biggest stories. Not only would it be a miraculous comeback arc, it would elevate a contending team into a whole new plane of contention.
Lonzo Ball’s road back has been anything but easy, but moments like this show why he kept fighting. If he can stay healthy and give the Cavaliers consistent minutes, his comeback will be one of the best stories in the league and could push Cleveland closer to the title picture.
