Lonzo Ball has played 70 games since the start of the 2021-22 season. There is no precaution too extreme for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season with regard to Ball's health, and having Ball not play in back-to-backs at all this year seems like the first obvious choice to make.
At Cavs media day, Ball said he doesn't expect to play in back-to-backs to start the season, but could start as the season progresses, according to Tim Bontemps, who also mentioned that Ball said he and the Cavs haven't discussed that yet.
As for playing back-to-backs, Ball says he doesn’t expect to play in both halves early on — he didn’t last year in Chicago when healthy — but that he could potentially start to as the season progresses, though he said it hasn’t been something he’s discussed with the Cavs yet. https://t.co/plmxectbI6
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) September 29, 2025
Let me stop you right there, my friend. There is no reason whatsoever for Ball to play B2Bs at all this season. Like I said — he's played 70 games since 2021. It might be a little vexing for fans to see Ball sidelined more often than not in 2025-26, but I guarantee that rushing him back and actually seeing him get hurt again would be far more frustrating.
If I had to venture a guess, I would think the Cavs decision-makers agree with me here. I would be pretty surprised if Ball played any back-to-backs this season, even if his health holds up (please, Basketball Gods) in the first half of the season.
Lonzo Ball's postseason health is the most important thing
I will be honest here; as the foremost Craig Porter Jr. fan on the internet, I am excited to see CPJ get more minutes this season. But that's not why I think Lonzo should never play back-to-backs — rather, it's because Ball being healthy for the postseason is far more important than him playing six or seven extra regular season games.
This Cavs team is going to be dominant in the regular season again. Good backup guard play can swing games, but it's not as if the Cavs' season will be determined by whether or not Ball plays in February. However, it could be determined with how well (or if) Ball plays in the postseason. And him making it to that postseason should be his, and the team's, top priority. Even if that means some semi-annoying load management.
I'm thrilled to watch Lonzo Ball play for this Cavs team. His fit on the court is awesome, and he's another likeable guy on a team. Making sure he's the best version of himself and on the court when things matter most is worth whatever measures the team thinks it must take.