Lakers coach Luke Walton said the team trainer had not cleared Lonzo Ball from his ankle injury, hence the absence for the rest of the Lakers preseason games. According to the LA Times, Walton told reporters on Friday that Ball will not join the shootaround at El Segundo practice facility. He further implied that his command is limited. Any decision about the player's health (injury) may have to come from the trainers.
Lonzo Ball injury and return timeline
In a preseason 111-104 win against the LA Clippers, the coach said Ball would only play when no pain occurs.
"He said he feels good, just a little sore, but he was in here working out. He did more today than he’s been doing … it was a normal shoot-around as if he was playing. He did the whole thing.” Walton is confident Ball will be back in time for the regular season.
According to previous reports, Lonzo Ball has been excellent when running straight but encountered issues when doing his side to side routine. Walton adds that they have been hard on training Ball on defense, and throughout the program, he realized that Ball understands the whole concept but needs a little more adjustment.
With the amount of work needed to improve Lonzo Ball's plays, Luke Walton thinks that the timing of his injury came at the most inconvenient time.
"It’s not ideal, but that’s what sports are. Every time has an injury. It’s a good practice to realize everyone has to be ready to play," he adds.
Starting lineup for the Lakers
Meanwhile, Walton is also contemplating on who will start at power forward position for the Lakers team. Kyle Kuzma, Larry Nance, and Julius Randle are all candidates for the position, but the coach is looking something more.
"It is more than who is playing better than the other two. You’ve got to think about making the second unit solid and a threat to be able to score enough and who plays well with Brook (Lopez’s) shooting," he said.
The Lakers franchise has been through a lot especially this season after they were fined for "tampering." Magic Johnson has since apologized for the mistake and took responsibility for the fault caused by talking to Paul George's agent.
The Los Angeles Lakers will face the LA Clippers on Thursday, October 29, 2017, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. This will be the team's first game during the regular season. The next schedule will be on Friday, October 20, 2017, against the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ.
