Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons they will make the playoffs this year

4. Lonzo Ball is close to returning

In some ways, Lonzo Ball has been a disappointment, especially on the offensive end. But leading up to his ankle injury on January 19 in Houston, he was showing signs of picking things up.

After LeBron went out with his groin injury, Ball started improving his marksmanship. In his last 13 games, the Chino Hills product shot 37.3 percent from 3-point range, compared to 30.7 percent before that. He was also showing some improvement in being a floor general and setting up his teammates when the Lakers were forced into their set offense.

But the area where he can help out most is on the defensive end. After ranking third in team defense in November, ninth in December and sixth in January, the Lakers have fallen to 30th – last place – so far in February.

Clearly, Ball’s absence isn’t the only reason the Lakers are allowing opponents to light up the scoreboard like Christmas decorations in Rockefeller Plaza. But his length, defensive activity and effort will help them pressure teams on the perimeter, which would help prevent opponents from getting the ball into their sweet spots.

According to a Los Angeles Times article on February 11, Ball’s rehab is going well, and he has recently started working out on an Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill, which is a sign that he is progressing. It’s been more than four weeks since his injury, so he should be able to return sooner than later, as he was expected to be out for four to six weeks when the injury was first diagnosed.