Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham provided a less-than-ideal update regarding point guard Dennis Schroder ahead of their matchup with the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

About 90 minutes before tip-off, the Lakers announced that Schroder was downgraded to questionable with neck spasms. Ham said Dennis is suffering from “extreme neck soreness.”

“I think just overall wear-and-tear,” Ham said when asked about what caused the sudden injury designation. “Things kick in when you lay in the bed sleeping. He's been battling. I call him ‘Mr. 94-50' — just the way he is tenacious with his on-ball defense and navigating screens and all of that. So, just trying to get out ahead of it. Extreme neck soreness. And it happens … Just gotta do all we can to protect him and make sure he's getting the proper treatment and try to give him a couple of days.”

Schroder is coming off one of his least productive outings of the 2022-23 season: He had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Friday will mark the first game Schroder has missed since making his season debut on Nov. 18 after undergoing preseason thumb surgery. The diminutive guard has been a steadying ship for the Lakers, often upping his scoring when the team is short-handed and more-than-adequately filling in for D'Angelo Russell, who has missed 10 games since the trade deadline.

Ham said Lonnie Walker IV will replace Schroder in the rotation. Schroder is averaging 12.6 points, 4.5 assists against 1.7 turnovers in 66 games.

The Lakers finish up their regular season on Sunday at home against the Utah Jazz. Ham's comments certainly didn't make it sound like Schroder will be ready for the finale.

On the positive side for Los Angeles, Russell, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis — who were all game-time decisions — decided to suit up against the Suns, who will be without Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton, and T.J. Warren.