After suffering an MCL sprain against the Dallas Mavericks, Lonzo Ball has missed the last 10 games for the Los Angeles Lakers. Unlike Ball's first injury where the Lakers lost all six games without him, they are currently 6-4 after an impressive 108-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to conclude their five-game road trip.
Prior to the road win, head coach Luke Walton provided an update about Ball's MCL sprain according to Bill Oram of Orange County Register:
Walton said Ball tried ramping up his workouts in Toronto but felt “something” in his knee so they shut it down.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) February 4, 2018
After Tyler Ennis did not perform well in the starting lineup, head coach Luke Walton recently inserted Josh Hart as Brandon Ingram has taken over the point guard responsibilities. As a result, Los Angeles ended their longest road trip of the 2017-18 NBA season with two consecutive wins.
As the Lakers prepare for the Phoenix Suns and Thunder at home, it remains unclear when Ball will be able to take the next step in his recovery. However, under these circumstances, the 20-year-old can take his time as the Lakers have finally figured out how to play without him.
Heading into the trade deadline, it will be interesting to see if President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka make any moves. While the ultimate goal is to have enough cap space for two max contract players in free agency, it is difficult parting with players like Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, who were originally selected by the storied franchise in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Ball is averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 36 appearances.
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