The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2017-18 season ended earlier than what LaVar Ball expected, but it also means that the team and its players now have plenty of time to prepare and train for the next campaign. Enter Lakers Director of Strength and Endurance Training, Gunnar Peterson, who recently spoke with Lakers reporter Mike Trudell about the focus of some players in the weight room this offseason. Among the players he mentioned was Lonzo Ball, who has had some health problems in his rookie season.
Peterson: In terms of what we’ll work on, it’s overall strength, core strength, ankle stability and joints, just like the other young guys. Connective tissue strength, ligament tendon stability. For these guys, with their body length, you think about it like building a building. You’re supporting a structure as it’s going up.
Lonzo Ball was not able to suit up for the Lakers’ final eight games of the regular season due to a left knee contusion. Apart from that lower-body injury, Ball also dealt with a sore left knee and a left shoulder sprain in his first year in the league. All told, Ball was only able to play a total of 52 games for the Lakers.
Ball stands 6’6” but entered the NBA listed with just a 190-pound frame. The NBA may have gotten soft today compared to the previous eras, but it still is a physical league. If Ball is to make a long career playing in the NBA, he definitely needs to bulk up and strengthen his core and limbs just like what Peterson is preaching.
Ball finished his rookie year with averages of 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
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