Although he is back on the court, Lonzo Ball has not yet entered his season, the fault of a wrist injury which stranded the player for a month in the infirmary. He had played three matches before then two afterwards. Five short matches therefore, it's very light, even if his last outing is not trivial.
Indeed, against the Celtics, he played 22 minutes. His season high and the first time he can reach that 20 minute mark, when he is supposed to be limited to 16 per game.
“I sort of vetoed my playing time limit,” is he having fun. “There were three minutes left to play, we were in the match, I wanted to do my best to win. I felt good, so I told the coach to let me go. He was hesitant, he will probably hear about it, but I'm happy to have stayed on the floor. »
The Bulls want to be very patient and careful with the former Lakers. But against the reigning champions, Billy Donovan trusted his player, even though he does not yet have many minutes or competition in his legs.
How did the playmaker feel after playing 22 minutes? Which remains a significant total for an athlete who has missed more than 1,000 days of competition… “Very good, no problem”he replies.
“Not concerned” by his long absence
Lonzo Ball then had his worst match but the important thing is in his playing time. Above all, the Chicago coach notices that even if he does not play much, his playmaker has a positive impact on the group. Before this defeat against the Celtics, he had always finished with a positive +/- (+7.5 average in previous matches).
“I know it’s a really small sample size, but his +/- is crazy for the amount of playing time he has”summarizes Billy Donovan in the face of Lonzo Ball's +2.8 points in 17 minutes. “He’s so smart and knows how to play, so even in 16 or 20 minutes he can be productive. The most important thing for me is how he will hold up physically with his knee. »
He still plays little and not enough matches to really produce statistics, but the player is progressing slowly but surely. That's already it, after so many operations and months of absence.
“Basketball is pretty simple for me. We have good players on the team. I try to get good minutes, be in a good position, defend and let things happen,” he confides. “He knows how to play, he knows his strengths,” insists Coby White. “He’s there and playing. With his mentality, he is not concerned about the time he missed. He just comes on the floor and plays. »
| Lonzo Ball | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | LAL | 52 | 34 | 36.0 | 30.5 | 45.1 | 1.3 | 5.6 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 10.2 |
| 2018-19 | LAL | 47 | 30 | 40.6 | 32.9 | 41.7 | 1.1 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 9.9 |
| 2019-20 | NOP | 63 | 32 | 40.3 | 37.5 | 56.6 | 1.1 | 5.0 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 11.8 |
| 2020-21 | NOP | 55 | 32 | 41.4 | 37.8 | 78.1 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 14.6 |
| 2021-22 | CHI | 35 | 35 | 42.3 | 42.3 | 75.0 | 1.0 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 13.0 |
| 2024-25 | CHI | 5 | 17 | 38.1 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 4.4 |
| Total | 257 | 32 | 40.0 | 36.4 | 57.8 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 11.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
