In the final game of the regular season against the Magic on Thursday, it appears Lonzo Ball will not step foot on the court. Though Ball is technically active for the New Orleans Pelicans, Alvin Gentry spoke before the game and said Ball is unlikely to take the court.
“Obviously, in a certain situation we might play him,” Gentry said of Ball, “but there’s a good chance that we’ll just rest him for the night.”
Officially, Brandon Ingram, Jrue Holiday and Zion Williamson were listed on the injury report as out for Thursday’s game. On Tuesday, both JJ Redick and Derrick Favors were active but did not play. It’s likely that Ball will be considered in the same vein as those two from Tuesday.
The move allows Ball to head into the off-season fully healthy, a luxury he hasn’t been afforded at any point during his brief NBA career. Ball will finish the season with a career-high 63 games played while averaging 11.8 points, 7.0 assists and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 37.5% from three.
