The injury bug has hit the Los Angeles Lakers extremely hard this season, with the most recent casualty being second-year point guard Lonzo Ball. In the midst of the best stretch of his career, Ball suffered a severely sprained ankle which was estimated to keep him out four to six weeks.
While hope is Ball will return shortly after the All-Star Break, it removes him from participating in All-Star festivities for a second consecutive year. Ball was named to the USA roster for the 2019 MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars Challenge along with teammate Kyle Kuzma, but again won’t take the court.
As such, the NBA announced New York Knicks rookie Kevin Knox is stepping in to take Ball’s spot. The ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox is averaging 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds this season.
Knox ranks seventh among all rookies in scoring and rebounds. In December, he averaged 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game to earn NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors.
The timing for Ball’s injury couldn’t have been worse as he was really coming into his own. In his last three full contests, Ball averaged 16.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.0 assists while shooting 36 percent from three-point range.
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