In light of recent reports saying Lonzo Ball has been shut down for the remainder of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers released an official statement following their game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, which gave more clarity on the situation.
According to the team, Ball is making good progress in his recovery and has been cleared for non-contact basketball activities for the first time since suffering a Grade 3 ankle sprain in January. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Does this mean the reports that the Lakers were planning on shutting him down are untrue? Not exactly.
In two weeks, there will be just nine games left in the season. Lakers head coach Luke Walton typically likes his players to get a few practices in before returning from injury, so by the time he’s cleared to play — and that’s assuming he is — there will be roughly five games left in the season.
Are those five games really more important to his long-term development than a guarantee of an injury-free offseason? That’s debatable.
It’s certainly possible that Ball returns to the court this season, but it’s probably in his best interest to get as much rest as he can leading up to what is going to be a big summer for his career.
