Lonzo Ball was a surprise inclusion on the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers led to the fourth-year guard missing his first game of the season. Ball was listed as out with bilateral knee tendinopathy.
The injury was not one Ball had at any point in this season or during his career. Ultimately, Ball was one of three starters that did not play against the Clippers along with Eric Bledsoe and Zion Williamson, who missed the game due to health and safety protocols.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, Stan Van Gundy provided an update on Ball’s status for the upcoming games.
“Lonzo’s got some of that tendinopathy and he’s working hard at the rehab,” Van Gundy said. “When he’s ready to go, he’ll be ready to go. I don’t know when that’ll be. Will that be the next game against the Lakers? Will it be Sacramento? Utah? I don’t know.”
As Van Gundy mentioned, the Pelicans have a string of West Coast games in the coming days. After the Clippers game on Wednesday, the team will remain in Los Angeles before playing the Lakers on Friday. On Sunday, the team will travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings.
After his rookie season, Ball did have surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. However, that Ball has knee tendinopathy in both legs would seem to indicate this injury is not related to that surgery.
