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Lonzo Ball dealing with a bone bruise that could extend his timeline for return

No result found, try new keyword!Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball has been dealing with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle that the team believes could extend his recovery past six weeks, according to two people familiar with Ball ...

Lonzo Ball injury update: Bone bruise could extend delay return further, report says

Lonzo Ball hasn't played in more than a month, and could he could miss more time than initially expected.

The Lakers guard sprained his ankle in a loss to the Rockets on Jan. 19. His initial timeline for return was six weeks, but a bone bruise he's dealing with could extend his absence, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times, which cites sources close to him.

“We are still missing a key piece of our unit in Zo, which we’ve missed a lot,” Lakers star LeBron James said Thursday. “But we are definitely together and we look forward to seeing what we are capable of.”

Los Angeles has won four of its last 11 games and has given up 121 points per game in that stretch. 

Although the Lakers secured a quality victory against the Rockets on Thursday, they still sit outside the playoff picture at 29-29.

Ball's well-rounded play and defense could be crucial to the team's overall success as it finishes out the year.

He has averaged 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists through 47 games in 2018-19.

Bone bruise likely to push Lonzo Ball's recovery from ankle sprain past six weeks

Second-year Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball has been out since January 19 with a left ankle sprain, but a bone bruise will likely keep him out longer than expected.

Ball was slated to miss four to six weeks — it’s already been 33 days — but two sources close to Ball told the Los Angeles Times’ Tania Ganguli that he is will likely be out those six weeks.

Ball initially hurt his ankle on January 19 when he he collided with Houston Rockets forward James Ennis. Ball had to be carried off the court by teammates, and the X-rays — which had to be taken in a wheelchair — revealed no fractures.

The timing was rough for Ball, who had been coming into his own since LeBron James went down with a groin injury. Since December 27, Ball averaged 12.9 points, 6.9 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game, including 16.7 points, 8.0 assists and 7.7 rebounds in the three games before the injury.

The Lakers had been playing particularly strong defense with Ball, who at 6-foot-6 has great size for a point guard. In the 12 games without Ball, the Lakers have given up 125.1 points per game with no opponents held to double-digits. Compare that to the 110.8 points per game they have allowed with Ball all year and the 108.7 points they averaged during Ball’s last 10 healthy contests.

In Ball’s stead, Rajon Rondo has picked up the slack with James also taking on more ball-handling duties. Since returning from a right hand injury, Rondo is averaging 8.9 points and 8.7 assists per game, both of which are above his season averages.

The Lakers sit 10th in the West at 29-29 but are only 2.5 games behind the 8-seed Los Angeles Clippers with the Sacramento Kings in between them. However, since James’ injury in the Christmas Day game, the Lakers are 9-15, and they are 4-8 without a healthy Ball.

Still, James does not appear to be concerned, and the superstar is used to turning things on in the playoffs. Last year, James’ Cleveland Cavaliers limped into the playoffs at the No. 4 seed before he made his eighth straight Finals, but now he has to make the postseason first — and hopefully avoid the Golden State Warriors in the first round.

“It’s been activated,” James told reporters on Wednesday. “My level of intensity has to be [high], unfortunately for me, because I don’t like to do it at such an early time. But it’s been activated.”

Although FiveThirtyEight currently rates the Lakers as the eighth-best team at full strength in the West, they are only given a 28 percent chance at making the playoffs. The Clippers — currently 62 percent favorites — may slide out of contention since dealing Tobias Harris, but Ball will be crucial to a playoff push for the Lakers.

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