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Despite his extended absence, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball is unlikely to make his return tonight against the Phoenix Suns, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.
“Lonzo Ball will come in to the Lakers facility to continue rehab,” Ganguli tweeted on Sunday. “Doesn’t sound like he’ll be doing that full-speed non-contact stuff Luke said he’d need to do before practicing. And of course, he’ll need to practice before playing so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out vs Suns.”
Ball has missed the last 10 games with a knee issue, but surprisingly, the Lakers have done well, winning six of the last 10 games without their star point guard at the reins of Walton's offense.
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Walton had noted the 20-year-old point guard would make his return sooner than later, expected to ramp up activities to start this week, but his recovery from injury hasn't progressed enough to get to that next stage, keeping him on the shelf for longer than expected.
Ball is one of the Lakers' key assets and one they'll treat with utmost care, likely not bringing him back until he's 100 percent fit to take the floor. In 36 games this season, Ball has averaged 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, despite shooting a porous 35.6 percent from the floor and 30.3 percent from deep. His free-throw shooting has also been in question, shooting 48 percent for the season — a calamitous mark from the stripe for someone playing around 34 minutes per game.
In his absence, the trio of Jordan Clarkson, Josh Hart, and Alex Caruso have split backcourt duties — doing enough to win six out of their last eight games.
