LOS ANGELES_It was fair to meet with skepticism Lonzo Ball's declaration in Denver that despite his ankle injury he could have kept playing and that he would not miss any games.
Ball's history didn't support his insistence that night. Ball has been more prone to missing weeks or even months because of injuries that didn't seem bad at first.
"Last season, I probably would've been out for a couple weeks," Ball said. "Definitely paid off this summer being in the gym and getting my body ready."
Ball's assessment was correct. He got back onto the court for the next game against Indiana and didn't seem hampered by the injury.
To Lakers coach Luke Walton, that is a sign of Ball's physical and mental maturation.
"As you get older and mature more you understand your body and understand what you can play through," Walton said. "I think missing half a game and coming back and being physically and mentally ready to play a night later shows he's growing as a player."
Ball missed 30 games during his rookie season, some because of knee injuries and some because of a shoulder sprain. After the season ended, he set a goal of playing in all 82 games this season. So far, Ball has not missed a regular-season game.
.png?w=600)
