It won't be long till the New Orleans Pelicans will get their starting point guard Lonzo Ball back in the lineup. On Thursday, Pelicans general manager David Griffin gave a positive update on Ball's status after missing the last four games due to a left hip flexor soreness.
According to the NOLA executive, the 23-year-old playmaker could suit up in the next two games (via Pelicans reporter Christian Clark).
David Griffin says on @ESPNRadioNOLA Pelicans Weekly that Lonzo Ball is "very close" to playing, NAW and Josh Hart are still "weeks away." Ball is a "coin flip" to return in next 2 games.
— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) April 15, 2021
The Pelicans backcourt is extremely depleted right now, as Ball is not the only one dealing with the injury bug. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been scratched off due to a lower leg injury, while Josh Hart is also unavailable after tearing ligaments in his thumb. This has prompted coach Stan Van Gundy to use Zion Williamson as a temporary point guard.
While Ball is close to returning, it seems the team will have to wait a bit longer for NAW and Hart. The Pelicans have had a tough time setting up their offense without Ball running the show. After all, he leads the team in assists with 5.7 per contest. His disruptive presence has also been missed since he also leads the Pelicans in steals with 1.4 per game.
While Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the two cogs that keep NOLA's engine going, Ball has also done wonders for the squad this season. Lonzo Ball’s stats have taken huge strides with career-highs of 14.5 points on 42.2 percent shooting from the field, including a 38.4 clip from long range.
Despite his massive improvements this season, Lonzo Ball's name was heavily linked to trade rumors. The Pelicans eventually decided to keep him, which is proving to be a wise move so far.
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