Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball was back at practice on Thursday morning and participated in a full-contact practice for the first time since spraining his left shoulder on Dec. 23. Ball admitted his shoulder felt a little sore after taking quite a bit of contact at practice, but called the pain ‘manageable’ and hopes he’s cleared for Friday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton also said that Ball looked great at practice and that neither his ball handling nor his shooting seemed affected. “All positive signs,” Walton said.
A potential silver lining to Ball’s recent injury, which has had him sidelined for the past six games, is his vocal leadership.