Lakers News: Luke Walton Praises Lonzo Ball, Latest on Brook Lopez Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers lost a close one in overtime to the Golden State Warriors Monday night, but head coach Luke Walton still found a positive takeaway.

He liked Lonzo Ball's aggressiveness in crunch time.

Ball scored the first five points in the extra period before Kevin Durant dribbled into a go-ahead 22-foot jumper that put the Warriors up two points. The rookie point guard then drove quickly all the way to the basket for a layup that would have forced another overtime, but it was blocked by David West.

"It was awesome," Walton told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "If he took those same shots and missed them all, I'm still good with that, because we want him being aggressive, especially down the stretch of games, in fourth quarters, in overtime.

"He's such an unselfish player and has such a great feel for the game that sometimes he'll get lost out there as far as looking for his own [shot]. I think part of what's gonna make him an even greater playmaker is when he's scoring the ball as well, and defenses can't just play passing lanes."

Ball hasn't been consistently aggressive, especially with the game on the line. Was Kobe Bryant, who was sitting courtside to see his two jerseys retired, an inspiration for his "Mamba mentality?"

"Nah," Ball said. "I was just taking what I saw."

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft is still trying to cement his place in the league and with only 28 games under his belt, he hasn't exactly mastered the balance between facilitator and scorer.

"He plays the toughest position in our league," Walton said, per DiGiovanna. "There's so much you have to know. 'What one of my teammates hasn't had a shot in a while? Does [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] like shooting coming off right, coming off left? Where Julius [Randle] like catching the ball?'

"There are so many things that go through a point guard's mind at this level, it's tough to pick out one thing and say that's the toughest for him."

One of the toughest things for Ball has been finding his shot. He's shooting a horrid 33.9 percent from the field and an even worse 27.5 percent from behind the arc. 

The last three games have been a bright spot, though. Ball has connected on nine of 20 from deep.

"The way he shoots in practice, the way he shot at UCLA...he's a good shooter," Walton said. "As a 19-year-old rookie coming in, there's a lot of pressure. The three-point line is different, people guard you different, the length and speed [of opponents] is different.

"And every time you miss a shot, the entire media world comments on that you can't shoot. So I think for him, it's been getting comfortable, finding his groove at this level."

Brook Lopez out at least three weeks

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Brook Lopez is expected to be out for at least three weeks after an MRI test confirmed a moderate ankle sprain in the center's right ankle, per DiGiovanna.

The 7-footer went down in the second quarter of Monday night's 116-114 loss to the Warriors with a twisted ankle.

"He said he didn't sleep much [Monday] night, but it wasn't the throbbing pain that kept him awake as much as he was frustrated that he was hurt," Walton said. "He's a little upset right now, a little defeated, because he's not going to be able to help his teammates."

It's already been a frustrating season for Lopez, who is averaging a career-low 12.8 points per game while only playing 22.4 minutes a night. The former Brooklyn Nets star has a career shooting average of 50.3 percent, but he's hitting at a 44.6 percent rate this season.

In Lopez's absence, Randle may getting the starting nod at the four, or Kyle Kuzma with Larry Nance Jr. moving over to the five.

"We've got some tough decisions to make as far as the minutes and lineups are concerned," Walton said.

Even with one big man sidelined, the Lakers decided against calling up young center Ivica Zubac from its development league team, the South Bay Lakers.