Los Angeles Lakers rule Isaiah Thomas out vs Dallas Mavericks

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas has been ruled out for the game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The hits just keep coming for the Los Angeles Lakers. Injuries have derailed what was shaping up to be a strong finish to the regular season.

It all began around Valentine’s Day. Channing Frye underwent an appendectomy, and only returned to the court last week. On Feb. 28th, Josh Hart fractured a bone in his left hand. In the following game against the Miami Heat, Brandon Ingram strained his groin.

As a result, the Lakers have been digging deep into their bench. They used 10-day contracts on Travis Wear, who is now with the team for the remainder of the season, and Derrick Williams, who wasn’t re-signed.

Last week, another injury occurred. Point guard Isaiah Thomas was ruled out for two games because of his hip.

More from Lake Show Life

The troublesome hip is what cost him the first 36 games of the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thomas was unable to gain any traction with the Cavaliers, who blew things up at the NBA Trade Deadline.

Part of that blowup was sending Thomas to Los Angeles. Now, the same hip injury is causing him problems once again.

Thomas has been ruled out of the game for tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. The news was shared on NBA.com. It should not be a surprise that Thomas is sidelined, as he is not even with the team currently.

According to Mike Trudell, Thomas is in New York meeting with a specialist to evaluate different options on how to deal with his hip injury.

This isn’t a good sign for Thomas returning to the court this season. With the Lakers being eliminated from the postseason after their loss to the Detroit Pistons, there is no reason for players to push themselves through injuries, risking further damage.

That goes twofold for Thomas. Thomas is looking to cash in this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. His case for a lucrative contract was going to be hard enough to make based on his performance this season. Getting his hip issue figured out so he knows how to get it healed is of the utmost importance.

Figuring out exactly what is wrong is important. Playing and risking further damage would make no sense. If he is able to pinpoint a problem and get a plan together on how to make it better, it will improve his chances of landing a good contract in free agency.

Next: 3 Takeaways From Lakers Loss To Pistons

With Thomas sidelined, expect rookie Lonzo Ball to continue logging major minutes. Tyler Ennis and Gary Payton II are the only other healthy point guards on the roster but are no threat to Ball’s playing time. As long as Thoams is sidelined, Ball will receive as many minutes as he can handle.