Lonzo Ball is beginning another chapter in what has been an up-and-down career as he suits up for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the upcoming season.
Ball entered the NBA as a highly touted prospect. While the talent is undeniable, with his vision, speed, and high IQ, he has struggled to stay away from injuries. He hasn’t played more than 63 games in his career, including missing back-to-back campaigns from 2022 to 2024 due to a knee injury.
Last season, he played 35 games with the Chicago Bulls, averaging career-lows of 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals off the bench.
Still, the Cavaliers believed that the 27-year-old Ball would be a good fit, acquiring him in the offseason via a trade with the Bulls in exchange for Isaac Okoro.
In a report from Andscape’s Branson Wright, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson had to dig deep in his foreign vocabulary when asked to describe Ball.
“He has that je ne sais quoi,” said Atkinson, using the French phrase, which means a quality that cannot be named easily.
“He just has that feel. I’m excited that he could be the guy that pushes us to the next level.”
Ball is expected to serve as backup to Darius Garland. Atkinson could also experiment by playing them together, giving the Cavaliers a faster-paced offense built on ball movement. The 6-foot-6 Ball has also proven to be a strong defender, especially in disrupting the passing lanes.
“I don’t know if anybody’s talking about his defense, but he’s a guy who gets you three steals in 10 minutes because his IQ is so good. He gets to a spot before anybody else. He just sees things early,” added Atkinson.
The arrival of Ball could fill the void left by Ty Jerome, who had a breakout campaign in Cleveland before signing with the Memphis Grizzlies in free agency.
The Cavaliers topped the Eastern Conference last season with a 64-18 record. They, however, got upset by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs.
