Kenny Atkinson gives reassuring outlook on Lonzo Ball despite recent struggles

Since arriving at the Cleveland Cavaliers during the offseason, veteran guard Lonzo Ball has lacked consistency coming off the bench as the point guard.

However, this is not entirely down to him, as he is on the Cavs’ injury management list, doesn’t play both games in back-to-backs and has his minutes capped, not allowing fans to see Ball at 100 percent.

Despite this, head coach Kenny Atkinson still trusts the former UCLA standout, who has been struggling physically over the last week and from the field all season long, but has remained available and keeps performing hard.

“I trust him,” Atkinson said emphatically about Ball.

“I want him to find that rhythm. He was out sick for a couple of days, and I said to him that it’s going to come. I felt that when we made that run in the fourth, he was part of that group. He got a couple of steals and got us going a little bit.”

Ball shot a woeful 1-for-9 from the field with all but one of those shots coming from three-point range for three points, two assists and two steals in the 122-110 defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, but did contribute away from the stats when the Cavs made their run in the final quarter.

‘You’ve got to go with your guys. He’s my guy, so I’m going to keep going to him,” Atkinson added.

Nov 17, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Lonzo Ball (2) brings the ball up court in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Despite Ball’s struggles, where he is averaging career lows in points at 5.9, field goal percentage at 30.4 per cent and a low in three-point range too, going just 28 per cent, the faith that Atkinson has signifies that he believes Ball will get those percentages up.

Factor in that since 2021, Ball has only played 86 games and is still adjusting to a new team, 16 games in with Cleveland, Atkinson is giving the eight-year veteran more time.

Certainly, Ball’s style of play complements the Cavaliers. A guard who loves to run the floor, can pull up for the jumper if needed and can move without the ball to create his own looks.

But above all else, Ball has elite court vision and can find anyone out on the floor. Ball averages 5.1 assists this season, with his career-best being 7.2, which he dished out in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

But he still needs time to adjust in Ohio, and Atkinson believes in him.