Should the Cleveland Cavaliers be concerned with Lonzo Ball’s performance?

The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Chicago Bulls for their first preseason action.  The Cavs season ended in a tragic fashion. The Indiana Pacers upset them in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was very upsetting because they were title contenders, seen on the same level as the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Cleveland would retain the core players, including Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. With the departure of Ty Jerome, there was a hole in the guard rotation. There’s an optimism that Lonzo Ball would be able to fill that role. He brings different strengths to the game that have hurt the Cavs in the past. 

Teams have tried to attack the Cavaliers smaller guards in the past, but Ball, standing at six-foot-six inches, with great defensive instincts, allows them to get creative with their lineups and will give an already great defense a big boost.

Despite Ball less than ideal outing in his preseason debut, he shot zero for three from three and zero for four on field goals. There are still question marks for the former second overall pick considering he’s still trying to get back to himself following the knee issue that took multiple years to come back from. 

There’s no need to panic. It was one game, and he’s still trying to figure out what his role is on this team and how to play with his new teammates. It’s not a glass slipper perfect fit, but like any player coming to a new environment, it’s going to take time. Ball is a very high IQ player and understands the game and how to move better than most. This gives me confidence that he will be fine, and it should give him and the rest of the Cavs organization the same confidence.

There are other ways he impacts the game that aren’t scoring. He’s a great playmaker and decision maker. Qualities that you want to have on any offense. Ball is an unselfish teammate, and you need five of those on the court if you want to maximize the team's potential. With that size, he can guard multiple positions, which can make it much easier to switch screens and other off-the-ball actions.

There’s not much on the court that Ball does not do. The primary concern would be his health. It’s held him back most of his career from being the player that he wants to be. The possibility of Ball not playing in any back-to-backs for the entire season is a definite possibility. If that’s what it takes to keep him on the count long-term, it’s a no-brainer. 

The Cavs are gearing up for another push at the title, and Ball can be a pivotal piece in their run. Ball is being put in a great situation where he isn’t asked to do too much and possibly injure himself again. Many would be very excited to see him be a key contributing factor to a team that finally gets over the hump and wins a championship.