The plan of the Cleveland Cavaliers with Lonzo Ball

The Cleveland Cavaliers have decided to take a cautious approach with Lonzo Ball at the beginning of the season, establishing a work plan that will limit his minutes and avoid overloading his body. As reported by Chris Fedor (Cleveland.com), the guard will play around 20 minutes per night and will sit out one game in each “back-to-backs” series, a measure designed to protect him after his long injury ordeal.

This strategy has been jointly designed by the coaching staff, the player himself, and the Cavaliers' medical team, aiming to ensure a progressive adaptation to the competitive rhythm. “Back-to-backs are off the table for now,” acknowledged Ball this Monday. “That doesn't mean it will be like that the whole season, but at least at the beginning, yes.”

The Californian guard has not had an easy road since entering the league. His 2021/22 season with Chicago ended prematurely after only 35 games, due to a serious knee injury that led to three surgeries and kept him off the court for almost three full years.

His return finally came last season, albeit in a limited role with the Bulls: he averaged 22.2 minutes per game in 35 appearances (14 as a starter), and he never played both games in a consecutive series. Despite some discomfort during the season, these were related to his wrist, not his reconstructed knee, a promising sign for his immediate future.

An Immediate Impact in Cleveland

Since his arrival at the Cavaliers—after being traded this summer in exchange for forward Isaac Okoro—Ball has made a favorable impression on both his teammates and the coaching staff. His playmaking ability, perimeter defense, and basketball instinct have quickly made him one of the most valued players in Kenny Atkinson's rotation, the franchise's new head coach.

“Lonzo hasn’t disappointed,” Atkinson stated last week. “We are getting everything we expected from him. He has an extraordinary feel for the game. I’m excited to coach him; he's someone I've followed for a long time, and he fits perfectly into our system.”

Ball is expected to be the engine of Cleveland's second unit, especially after the departure of Ty Jerome, the Sixth Man of the Year finalist who signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent. With his vision, intelligent defense, and experience, the former Bull could become a differentiating factor in maintaining team balance when the stars rest.

Though his comeback path still requires patience, Lonzo Ball seems to have found in the Cavaliers the ideal environment to regain continuity and confidence. If he manages to stay healthy and establish his competitive rhythm, Cleveland may have added more than just a veteran: a true catalyst for their second unit.

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