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Los Angeles Lakers second year point guard Lonzo Ball has been 100 percent cleared by the team's medical staff to return to full basketball activity, according to general manager Rob Pelinka.
Ball suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and underwent surgery this summer. The 20-year-old received a PRP injection after the season ended, but the shot didn’t take care of the pain, so Ball was forced to go under the knife. He had a partial meniscus removal instead of a full repair.
Rob Pelinka says that Lonzo Ball has been 100% cleared by the #Lakers medical staff to return to full basketball activity
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) September 20, 2018
The good news is that Ball didn’t have a total removal of his meniscus. That procedure can lead to knee issues such as arthritis down the line. The Lakers open training camp next week.
Lonzo Ball played in 52 games during his rookie season and averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of UCLA shot 36.0 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from 3.
Ball will compete with veteran guard Rajon Rondo during training camp to earn the starting point guard position. Rondo, who spent last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, signed a one-year deal with the Lakers in July. The dynamic floor general has said he’s not worried about who starts and is looking forward to co-existing with Ball on the court, per ASeaOfBlue.com.
“I’m not so much caught up in starting and things like that,” Rondo said. “I’m caught up in just winning a championship. From what I’ve seen of Lonzo, I’m excited to get a player at that age and try to help him as much as I can, as far as understanding the game and getting his game up to speed at a high level. Especially with the amount of pressure now the organization has every night, we’re going to get guys’ best shots. As far as understanding that night in and night out, that’s what separates good players from the great players.”
