The Los Angeles Lakers have been less than promising in the early stage of the NBA preseason and yet its star player Lonzo Ball could sit the entire preseason. According to ESPN, Ball has been ruled for his second straight preseason game after injuring his left ankle. Ball also did not play during Sunday night's play against the Sacramento Kings. Coach Luke Walton also confirmed the possibility of Lonzo skipping the entire preseason because of the injury.
And just like that, Lonzo Ball is on a day to day observation with no guarantee that he will be ready to play during the season opener.
"I assume he will be back," says Walton. He also added that things are different for each player and since Lonzo is a rookie to the team, they may have to observe on how long he will be able to recover.
Luke Walton on Lonzo Ball during practice
On Saturday night, Walton said, he tried giving Lonzo a shot during practice but his limping around proved, he's not ready to play. The Lakers coach said the No. 2 draft pick had a hard time moving Side To Side, hence giving the rest in order to recuperate properly. While the team did not see any serious setbacks from Lonzo's injury, Luke Walton said they would rather play it safe and make him play when he's ready.
An update on the injury reveals that Lonzo can run straight and feels good on the injured foot.
However, it becomes a different case when he needs to go side to side wherein, he can feel the pain. Ball injured his left ankle landing on Denver Nugget's Emmanuel Mudiay's foot. he continued to play in the second half but eventually ruled out the rest of the game to avoid further damaging his ankle.
Ball in the Family
Lonzo Ball is the eldest son of the outspoken Big Baller Brand (BBB) owner LaVar Ball.
The latest controversy surrounding the family is LaVar's bold statement about pulling out his son Melo from Chino Hills high school because he had a beef with his coach. LaVar said, he could care less if his son will not make it to the NCAA, but his plans include homeschooling Melo and teaching him to be the best basketball player in the future.
LaVar Ball came under fire when BBB launched Lonzo Ball's signature shoe, the ZO2 sneakers that are priced at almost $500. Several athletes dissed the expensive shoes but LaVar is unmoved saying the reason behind the expensive shoes is the fact that Lonzo is the first NBA player to have his own signature shoes even before playing his first official game in the league.