Not so long ago, it looked like Lonzo Ball wasn’t going to take the court for an NBA game ever again.
Now, he’s back on the hardwood and playing for a legitimate championship contender.
The Cleveland Cavaliers got things rolling in the offseason by trading for the former No. 2 pick.
Per Brian Martin of NBA.com, that was one of the most notorious and under-the-radar moves any team has made so far:
“When Cleveland lost Ty Jerome in free agency, the Cavs had a hole in their backcourt bench and acquired Ball from Chicago in exchange for Isaac Okoro. Ball returned to the court last season after missing the previous two seasons with a left knee injury that required multiple surgeries to repair. In 35 games, Ball showed flashes of the playmaking, shooting and defense while averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 3-pointers made and 1.3 steals in 22.2 minutes per game before missing the season’s final two months with a sprained wrist. Ball’s return to the court after missing over 1,000 days was a triumph in and of itself. Now, he has an opportunity to continue working his way back to his full potential on a title contender,” Martin wrote.
Granted, there will always be some concerns about Ball and whether he can stay on the court.
He’s struggled with injuries for most of his career, and having him miss a couple of years with complications stemming from a knee injury was far from ideal.
Even so, he’s one of the most impactful backcourt players in the league when he’s out there and healthy.
He can pull the strings of the offense like the best of them, as he’s got an elite court vision and some of the most proficient passing skills in all of basketball.
He’s also a tailor-made addition to Kenny Atkinson’s offensive system because of his ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc.
More importantly, he’s a big-bodied guard who can guard multiple positions and who takes pride in getting stops.
He might not bring the same scoring outbursts this team got from Ty Jerome in the second unit, but he’s a much better player at every other aspect of the game.
If he can stay healthy, he might be one of the biggest pickups of the offseason.
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