This is probably the right move.
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Lonzo Ball told reporters on Monday that he won't play in back-to-backs to begin the season.
Ball expects to play around 20 minutes per game.
The Cavaliers acquired Ball from the Chicago Bulls this offseason.
Ball, who will make $10 million this season, appeared in 35 games last season for the Bulls after missing two years in a row with a serious knee injury. The UCLA product averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 36.6% overall, 34.4% from beyond the arc and 81.5% from the foul line.
A talented passer and defender, Ball turns 28 on October 27. He has career NBA averages of 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists with the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Bulls.
According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Ball has been turning heads in training camp.
"From what I continue to hear, Lonzo Ball is somebody who continues to turn heads. He continues to show how he can be an effective fit for this team," Fedor revealed. "Obviously there are questions about how much is he going to play in the regular season, is he going to play back-to-backs? Can he make it through a regular season fully healthy, but he's showing glimpses of why, number one, he's a better, more impactful player than Isaac Okoro."
Ball will start at point guard for the Cavaliers while Darius Garland recovers from offseason foot surgery alongside Donovan Mitchell, De'Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
At Cavaliers media day, Mitchell spoke about the "big time" Ball trade.
"Big time. I think he's a guy that sees the floor naturally," Mitchell said about Ball. "He's a defender. He's a guy that we came into the league together, same draft class, and he's always been a pest defensively, but his knowledge, his IQ, his cerebral part of the game I think will help us a lot."
The Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season. However, they lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs in five games.