Lonzo Ball Won't Return vs. Mavericks After Knee Injury Diagnosed as Contusion

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball suffered a left knee contusion Wednesday and will not return, according to Mike Trudell of the team's official site.

He played 24 minutes before the injury, totaling eight points with five assists and four rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center.

After the game, Lakers head coach Luke Walton told reporters Ball would get an MRI on the injury but noted "the doc thinks he's going to be ok." 

Ball, 20, has battled injuries throughout his rookie season, namely issues with his knee and shoulder. When he's played, he's shown growth, however, averaging 10.2 points, 7.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game entering Wednesday.

The rookie point guard is clearly one of the team's pillars for the future, alongside Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, though the Lakers could have a dramatically different lineup come the summer, when they are expected to be major players in free agency.

With superstars like LeBron James, Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins set to hit free agency, among others, the Lakers will have the cap space to make a major signing or two. In other words, Ball could be facilitating an offense with far more star power next year.

In the interim, however, Ball will potentially miss more developmental time in his rookie year. While his playmaking and pace have paid immediate dividends for the Lakers, his shooting has been a major issue, as he's made just 35.9 percent of his shots from the field and is a shooting a woeful 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.

If that shot improves, Ball has the potential to become an elite point guard. Even if it doesn't, Ball still can make an impact as a pass-first player at the point guard position.