Despite being selected for the second time in his career, Lonzo Ball will not represent the Los Angeles Lakers in the Rising Stars Game at NBA All-Star Weekend as he is still rehabilitating from the ankle sprain he suffered in January. Kevin Knox will replace him on Team USA, the NBA announced in a press release last week.
Selected with the ninth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox is averaging 12.6 points on 36.6 percent shooting from the field and 4.2 rebounds per game. He’s ranked seventh among rookies in points per game behind Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr., Colin Sexton, Trae Young, DeAndre Ayton and Luka Doncic, who leads the rookie class in scoring with 20.8 points per game.
Knox will join Ball’s teammate Kyle Kuzma on team USA. Kuzma is ranked third among sophomores in points per game with 19.1 points on 46.7 percent shooting from the field. Only Donovan Mitchell and John Collins are averaging more.
Meanwhile, Ball is ranked 12th among sophomores in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game on the season. However, he is among the leaders in assists (second), steals (third) and rebounds (eighth).
Ball is expected to make his return for the Lakers following the All-Star break. In the meantime, he will continue to increase his workload and see how his ankle responds.
The NBA Rising Stars Challenge will air on Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
