Lonzo Ball will make his much-awaited NBA debut when the Los Angeles Lakers face the Clippers in their season opener. And despite his recent ankle problems, the rookie will be free to play as many minutes as necessary too.
According to Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints, Lakers coach Luke Walton says there will be no minutes restriction on Ball for the season opener.
Luke Walton says there will be no minutes restriction on Lonzo Ball #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 18, 2017
Ball, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, had a rocky preseason. He averaged just six points and six assists in 29 minutes through two games before missing the Lakers’ last three preseason games due to an ankle injury he suffered against the Denver Nuggets. But it appears he has fully recovered from that injury for Walton to give him the green light to play big minutes.
Walton is reportedly still evaluating who will start alongside Ball in the season opener against the Clippers. Jordan Clarkson will likely take over at shooting guard for the suspended Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. However, there remains some doubt as to who will get the start at power forward.
Regardless of who starts, though, Ball will still be the big story. There will be high expectations for him to perform right away, and he’ll have all the time he needs to live up them on his debut.
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