Lakers News: Latest Updates on Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram's Development

There will be no rematch between Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul when the Houston Rockets play host to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

The Lakers point guard won't be on the court due to a flareup on his injured right hand.

Rondo had been practicing in anticipation of returning to the lineup, but he suffered a setback in his recovery when he experienced some swelling.

He had to have fluid drained from the hand, and the team is exercising caution regarding his return to action.

"There's a little bit of swelling," head coach Luke Walton said on Monday, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "We're going to shut him down for a few days then get back out after it again."

Rondo first injured the hand last month against the Portland Trailblazers when he came down with a defensive rebound in the fourth quarter and tried to brace his fall.

He underwent surgery to repair the injured third metatarsal and was expected to be out for four-to-five weeks.

"We've got great doctors, we've got a great training staff and he's constantly working with them, we travel a hand specialist that he works with on the road," Walton added. "But when players are as good as he is and have been for that long, it's because they work really hard. So he wants to be on the court as much as possible."

The four-time All-Star's absence against the Rockets will likely curtail numerous storylines surrounding the last time the two teams met.

L.A. played host to Houston in its home opener and things got testy really quick late in the fourth quarter after Brandon Ingram took exception to a foul call against James Harden.

Rondo and Paul threw punches after the latter accused the former of spitting in his face.

Slowed-down video revealed that Rondo had actually spit on Paul, but both players were suspended for their part in the melee.

Paul was out for two games, Rondo was out for three.

Ingram, who ran into the fray to throw wild punches of his own, was suspended for four games.

Since Rondo has been out with the hand injury, the Lakers have been on a roll. They have won nine of their last 13 games and taken a leap forward in the Western Conference standings.

They are now tied for fourth place.

L.A. will look to build on its two-game winning streak with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart running the point guard position as the team embarks on a four-game road trip starting at the Toyota Center.

And while Rondo, who is averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, isn't on the court directing traffic, he can still be seen on the sidelines, giving advice and providing veteran leadership to the Lakers' young core.

Lakers Not Rushing Brandon Ingram's Growth

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Brandon Ingram is trying to learn the value of patience.

This year hasn't gone exactly to plan for the 21-year old small forward, so there's been some frustration.

He was suspended for fighting and he's had to endure injuries.

Right now, he's out with a sprained left ankle.

Additionally, pundits are calling his ability to play alongside LeBron James into question.

Of the Lakers young triumvirate of Ingram, Ball and Kyle Kuzma, it appears as though Ingram is the odd man out trying to find a way to play well when James is on the floor.

This season was supposed to be a breakout year for the third-year wing out of Duke, but he's experiencing a bit of a failure to launch.

He's averaging 15.2 points, four rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, but those numbers are reminiscent of the stats he put up in 2017-18.

Even head coach Luke Walton has challenged him to be better.

"He's been good. He's going to keep getting better. We need him to get better; he knows that," Walton said, per Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation.

All of this has made Ingram wonder about his growth as a player since he was drafted second overall in 2016.

But Magic Johnson recently reminded him to just be "patient."

"I actually talked to Magic maybe a week ago I had the same conversation with him about just being patient," Ingram told Mike Trudell on the latest episode of Lakers Voices, per Silver Screen and Roll's Harrison Faigen. "He was just telling me, know 'it's gonna come.' With all the work that I put in this summer, just let it come and just have fun playing basketball.

"You really don't want to listen to everyone (about) playing basketball, because everybody is going to tell you what you want. But to hear it from a guy that's been through it is better."

For his part, James has expressed that he thinks Ingram is "great" and expects him to be "next."

"His pace, his ability to play the point and play the wing, he's a very special talent, and we're definitely happy to have him on our side," James told McMenamin back in October. "I know what I see in him, and he's looking for this opportunity to make this next jump in his third year.

"So, it's a lot of upside in that kid, and I'm happy to try to give him as much as I can."

While the numbers do show that Ingram plays better with James off the floor, the pair have only played in 21 games together.

They will mesh with time, especially if Ingram takes Magic's advice.