The Cleveland Cavaliers will need a lot from trade acquisition Lonzo Ball.
The NBA season is here, and the Cleveland Cavaliers begin their season with a matchup against the New York Knicks. The Cavs are coming off a great regular season where they were the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
However, Cleveland was unable to get it done in the playoffs, falling to the Indiana Pacers in five games in the second round.
Ahead of the 2025-26 season, the Cavs acquired guard Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro in a trade with the Chicago Bulls. Ball has had an injury-riddled career, but has shown he can be a great defender and playmaker when on the floor.
The 27-year-old appeared in 35 games with the Chicago Bulls in the 2024-25 season, averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 36.6 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three.
Ball was expected to come in and fit as the defensive guard and playmaker off the bench, but may have a larger role to start the season.
The Cavs lost backup guard Ty Jerome in free agency, and starting point guard Darius Garland is out to start the season with a toe injury. Cleveland will also be without Max Strus, and DeAndre Hunter is questionable for opening night.
With all of these injuries, Ball will play a key role for the Cavs. The offense will run through Donovan Mitchell, with Ball as the secondary ball handler.
He is great at initiating an offense and can distribute the ball to the stars like Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, as well as hitting shooters for open looks.
Perhaps Ball's greatest strength is getting the ball down the court in transition. His vision and passing ability allow him to throw full-court passes to his teammates for dunks or layups on the other end.
Defensively, Ball will be one of Cleveland's best point-of-attack defenders with Mobley and Allen protecting the rim.
Ball has shown that he is a winning role player, and if he can stay healthy this season, he is poised to be one of their most important players.