The New Orleans Pelicans will look to make it three wins in a row on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns and if Lonzo Ball is cleared to play, they’ll be in a great position to do that.
Ball has missed the last six games with an adductor strain he suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this month. On Wednesday, the Pelicans announced that Ball has been listed as questionable for Thursday night’s matchup with the Suns, leaving the door open for him to make his return in Phoenix.
It should be noted, though, that Ball has been listed as questionable in each of the last three games, too, including Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. With the exception of his status leading up to games, there has been little-to-no updates on the 22-year-old point guard’s health.
The good news is that the Pelicans have managed without Ball. In fact, in the six games New Orleans has played with Ball sidelined, they’ve gone 4-2. In the games that Ball played earlier in the season, they went 1-7.
That’s not to say Ball makes the Pelicans worse, but it may be a sign that the starting lineup they’ve been using in Ball’s absence has better chemistry than the one featuring Ball. For that reasons, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ball come off the bench upon his return.
We’ll get an update on Ball’s status and the starting lineup before tip-off at 10:30 p.m. EST.
