Lonzo Ball to Begin Season on Restricted Minutes, Will Skip Back-to-Backs
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The Cleveland Cavaliers will open the 2025-26 campaign with a tight minutes plan for guard Lonzo Ball, limiting him to roughly 20 minutes per game and holding him out of one contest in every back-to-back set, the team confirmed Monday.
The strategy was developed jointly by the front office, the medical staff and Ball himself as he continues to ramp up after returning last season from a two-and-a-half-year layoff caused by a serious knee injury.
“Back-to-backs are off the table right now,” Ball told reporters. “That doesn’t mean it’s off the table for the whole year, but definitely at the start.”
Ball’s 2021-22 season with Chicago ended after 35 games when a knee injury led to three surgeries and nearly three full years away from NBA action. He rejoined the Bulls last season, averaging 22.2 minutes across 35 appearances (14 starts) and never playing both ends of a back-to-back. His longest absences in 2024-25 were due to wrist problems, not his knee.
Cleveland acquired the 27-year-old playmaker in a summer trade that sent forward Isaac Okoro to Chicago. Since arriving, Ball has earned praise from coaches and teammates for his passing, defense and basketball IQ.
“He hasn’t disappointed,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said last week. “Everything we thought we were getting, we’re getting. He’s got a great feel for the game, the ultimate system fit.”
Ball is expected to anchor the Cavaliers’ second unit, filling a role vacated when Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in free agency.
Source: Hoops Rumors
