The Los Angeles Lakers have been without Lonzo Ball for a good part of the preseason. Has this affected their chemistry?
It has not been a pretty preseason for the Los Angeles Lakers. Through five games, the Lakers have a 1-4 record, and their one win came in an ugly game against the Sacramento Kings.
One of the issues for the Lakers has been their health. We have yet to see Andrew Bogut in the preseason, and both Lonzo Ball and Brook Lopez have missed multiple games. Considering that Ball and Lopez are the starting point guard and center, this has certainly hurt the Lakers’ chances of winning games.
Since Ball is going to be the starting point guard for the Lakers this season, having him on the court as much as possible in the preseason with his new teammates was certainly the goal. However, the rolled ankle that he suffered against the Denver Nuggets was certainly a setback.
Recently, head coach Luke Walton admitted this, and hopes to have him back and ready for a full week of practice before the season starts.
Lonzo's absence has been a "setback, for sure" for team chemistry, Walton said. But Walton hopeful Lonzo will practice every day next week.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) October 12, 2017
While building chemistry with his new teammates in the preseason was important, it is more important to have Ball healthy for the regular season. As shown in the preseason, the Lakers likely don’t want to have Tyler Ennis playing much more than backup minutes at the point guard position.
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The Lakers’ final preseason game is against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Ball is officially listed as questionable, which is a good sign that he is getting closer to 100 percent. However, the Lakers might be cautious with their talented young point guard with the start of the regular season right around the corner. If Ball can play, it will be exciting to see him on the court with Lopez for the first time this season.