Los Angeles Lakers rumors involving Lonzo Ball haven’t been overly positive, as the injured point guard will be re-evaluated again in one more week.
Recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors will disappoint some people. Everyone has been waiting for Lonzo Ball to get back on the court since he suffered a Grade 3 ankle injury against the Houston Rockets on Jan. 19th.
Ball has been sidelined 14 games and counting because of the ankle injury. In his absence, the Lakers have gone 5-9.
The original timetable set him to return in 4-6 weeks. With the All-Star break in between, it seemed he wouldn’t miss as many games as a normal 4-6 week timetable would result in. Unfortunately, Ball does not look like he will return even in six weeks.
This week Ball was re-evaluated. It turned out he was dealing with more than just a sprain, as a bone bruise was what was really giving him issues now. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Ball will be re-evaluated again in one week.
Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (sprained ankle) will be re-evaluated again in one week.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2019
That means that Ball will be sidelined at least four more games. The Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight before traveling to take on the Phoenix Suns and hosting the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
The earliest, based on when he will be re-evaluated, Ball will be back on the court will be against the rival Boston Celtics on March 9th.
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This is a tough blow for the Lakers, who have really missed Ball on the court. Without Ball, the team’s defense has cratered as the defensively challenged Rajon Rondo has been soaking up a majority of the minutes at the point guard spot.
Ball’s playmaking and ball handling are also missed according to LeBron James. James spoke to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times about what the Lakers are missing with Ball on the sidelines injured.
"“We obviously miss another ballhandler, another playmaker,” he said, per the Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner. “A guy that’s very, very good defensively. With his ability to get a steal and pressure the offensive point guard and then push the pace for us, get into our early offense. So we miss that a lot.”"
As things currently stand, the Lakers are three games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Getting Ball back would improve their chances of making a late-season run, but there aren’t many games remaining.
Including tonight’s game against the Bucks, the Lakers have 21 games remaining in the season. The two teams directly ahead of them in the standings, the Kings and Clippers, they face a combined three more times.
It will be a difficult task, but there is still a chance the Lakers can make the playoffs. Getting Ball back into the lineup, even if it is with only 15 games remaining, would be a boost for a team that is in need of a spark.