One of the few consistencies in Lonzo Ball’s time in the NBA has been injuries. Each season of his career, Ball has missed significant time during the season and each of his seasons was prematurely ended.
This season has been no different for Ball. After missing the near entirety of the summer with an ankle injury, he returned to the court only to miss another chunk of time with a groin injury.
With that injury behind him, though, Ball has hit the ground running in his return to the rotation, culminating in his triple-double on Sunday against the Houston Rockets. After the game, Ball credited his strong play to finally returning to full health.
“I’m just getting my legs back. I’ve been out for pretty much nine months before I got here, so I’m just trying to do what I can do to help my team out, and the defense is picking up as well.”
While getting his legs back under him is certainly a big factor in his play, his improved shot form has to be equally noted. Ball is hitting three-pointers at a career-best rate of 36.1%. That mark, that, is much lower than he’s shot in recent weeks as he’s shooting 42% from beyond the arc in the last eight games.
The key for Ball now not only for this season but for the rest of his career is to remain healthy. Any time he’s gotten momentum like this on the court in previous years, he’s gone down with a long-term injury shortly after. This season, he’s found a role in the starting lineup for a team that is surging after a long losing streak. If he can remain healthy, he can finally put together a breakout season.