LaMelo Ball Cleared Off Injury Report After Minutes-Restricted Start
LaMelo Ball is working through a staggered start to his first season in Minnesota, sitting out one game entirely and logging uneven minutes in four others. As of Oct. 17 he is cleared and off the injury report, coming off a 20.1-point, 7.1-assist season split with his old team.
By the Timberwolves Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightA Start in Stretches, Not Full NightsBall's first games with his new team have come in limited bursts.
Ball's first games with his new team have come in limited bursts. He played 16.8 minutes in a win over Milwaukee on Oct. 5, then 20.4 minutes in a loss to Indiana on Oct. 7, then a season-high 22.1 minutes in a win over New York on Oct. 12, finishing with 10 points and 7 assists. His minutes dipped to 18.2 in a loss to Detroit on Oct. 14, where he managed 3 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists. On Oct. 16, he did not play at all against Chicago, logging zero points, zero rebounds and zero assists in zero minutes as the team lost.
02Off the Injury Report, For NowBall is not currently on the injury report.
Ball is not currently on the injury report. The pattern behind that status has moved back and forth over the past week. He was tagged day-to-day with a rest-related designation on Oct. 10, then cleared on Oct. 12, the same day he played 22.1 minutes against New York. He stayed available through the Oct. 14 game, then was marked day-to-day again for rest on Oct. 16, the night he sat out entirely against Chicago. He was cleared again the next day, Oct. 17. Nothing in that stretch points to a structural injury, just a club managing his workload night to night.
03What He Put Up Last SeasonLast season, Ball played 72 games, averaging 28.0 minutes, 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and…
Last season, Ball played 72 games, averaging 28.0 minutes, 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.3 blocks, with 2.8 turnovers. He shot 40.7 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three and 89.9 percent from the line, for a 54.6 true shooting mark on a 30.6 usage rate, with a plus-5.8 on/off mark. He closed strong: 18 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists in a win over Indiana on April 3, then 35 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists in a win over Minnesota on April 5, then 36 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in a loss to Boston on April 7, and 27 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists in a loss to Detroit on April 10.
04His Name Keeps Coming Up in the Rumor MillBall has been a recurring name in league-wide roundups this fall.
Ball has been a recurring name in league-wide roundups this fall. A Western Conference notes column on Oct. 13 grouped him with his new team, plus mentions of McLaughlin, the Thunder and Dumars. Back on Sept. 29, a Timberwolves-focused notes piece listed him alongside Edwards, Connelly, ownership and expansion talk. None of those reports lay out a specific trade or deal involving him — they are roundup items, not confirmed moves — but the frequency says his situation is one league insiders are watching closely heading into the season.
05The ProfileBall wears No.
Ball wears No. 1 and plays guard, listed at 6-foot-7 and 180 pounds. He is 25 years old and entering his sixth NBA season. His path to the league ran through Illawarra before he was drafted, a background that still shows up in his game: a guard built more like a wing, who sees the floor at a size few guards have. That frame is part of why his box scores last season carried rebound and assist numbers — 4.8 and 7.1 per game — that are high for someone who also led as a primary scorer at 20.1 points a night.
Ball20.1 ppg
Bane20.1 ppg
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