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The Cleveland Cavaliers season has not according to plan. The top seed in the Eastern Conference a season ago, they now find themselves near the play-in, and sitting at just 15-12. One of the biggest surprises in the NBA, so far.
Some offseason additions haven’t quite panned out. The injury bug has been a huge negative here. Plus, the lack of consistency from most everybody besides Donovan Mitchell hasn’t helped matters either.
As the team prepares for a home-and-home series with the Chicago Bulls, new guard Lonzo Ball is set to return to the place he once called home.
It should certainly be an emotional night for Ball, who came back from a 2+ year injury absence to return to the floor.
Before the injury, Ball had helped Chicago to reach the top seed in the East. The team was in a different spot when he returned. And following his trade to Cleveland, he quickly became one of the first options off the bench.
Tough Times for Lonzo Ball
While the minutes and opportunities have continued to come for Lonzo Ball, they may not be there forever. The UCLA product is having a historically bad shooting season. He is making just 29% of his shots from the floor, and 26% from deep.
Over his last five games, Ball is just 7-29 from the floor. For the year, there have been just two occurrences where he has scored in double-figures. And he has shot under 45% from the floor in 16 of 20 total appearances.
The thing about Ball though, is he brings incredible passing and defense. Lonzo is averaging five assists, and 1.4 steals per night. He had five takeaways in the contest against the Hornets last week. Those things, along with his rebounding (nearly six per game) have made it hard to fully have him off the floor.
The truth is, Ball’s shot confidence still seems to be there. They are still going up, even though they are certainly not going in.
In year one of a 2-year, $20 million contract, there is a team-option for season two. If things don’t go according to plan, they could always pull the plug and go another way.
Lonzo Ball Set for Return to Chicago
Once upon a time, Lonzo Ball was the starting point guard for the best team in the East. Before his devestating knee injury, Chicago was 27-13, and the top seed in the East during the 2021-22 season.. Things were working well between him, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan.
Chicago went just 19-23 after Ball’s injury, and got bounced in five games in the opening round of the playoffs. We wouldn’t see #2 back on the floor for over 1,000 days, dating all the way to early 2024-25.
As Ball returns, he should be celebrated by the Chicago faithful. His knee issues kept them from achieving what they could have, but it was a memorable little run they had together.
And for those Bulls, they are in the midst of a current freefall. Ball would certainly love to be able to hand his former team a few losses in their two-game mini-series this week.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, sitting at 15-12 with one of the highest payrolls in the league, some victories will certainly be needed.
Lonzo Ball will likely continue to get big minutes until the team returns to full strength. At 29% from the floor, the only place for him to go, is up.
Zach Weiss Zach Weiss is a sports reporter covering the NBA for Heavy. He also hosts a podcast about the Cleveland Cavaliers, “Across the Cavs,” and serves as a sports broadcaster for various institutions in the Greater NYC Area. He wrote for Knup Sports for six years. More about Zach Weiss
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