Lonzo Ball will be out at least one week past his original timetable as he continues to nurse a bone bruise in his left ankle, the Los Angeles Lakers announced on Thursday.
Ball suffered his original injury during a January meeting with the Houston Rockets, going down in the third quarter after stepping on an opponents foot. Ball was initially ruled out 4-to-6 weeks with a Grade 3 ankle sprain, but the timetable seemed optimistic given the history of recent Grade 3 sprains in the NBA.
Thursday’s announcement comes just shy of a week removed from a report that the recently-discovered bone bruise had slowed the rehab process. While bone bruises are not uncommon with Grade 3 sprains, it turns out it did hamper his rehab process.
In his absence, the Lakers have struggled mightily, sitting at 5-9 with him sidelined. The defense has slumped, the lack of point guard play has been noticeable and the team has continually pointed to Ball’s return as a potential spark for the playoff push.
