Lakers News: Lonzo Ball's Ankle Injury to Be Re-Evaluated in 1 Week

Doctors will re-evaluate the sprained ankle of Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball in one week, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Ball has missed the Lakers' last 14 games, with Los Angeles going 5-9 during that stretch.

LeBron James discussed why Ball's absence has had such an adverse impact on the team.

"We obviously miss another ballhandler, another playmaker," he said, per the Los Angeles Times' Brad Turner. "A guy that’s very, very good defensively. With his ability to get a steal and pressure the offensive point guard and then push the pace for us, get into our early offense. So we miss that a lot."

According to NBA.com, the Lakers have had a minus-0.4 net rating with Ball on the floor. Their net rating has fallen to minus-1.5 when he's on the bench. Los Angeles is also allowing 3.5 more points per 100 possessions without Ball.

Even if doctors clear him for a return in a week's time, Ball is unlikely to make a big enough difference for the Lakers to get them back into the top eight of the Western Conference. Los Angeles might have already taken on too much water.

Three games separate L.A. from the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers. ESPN.com's NBA BPI Playoff Odds give the Lakers a 5.2 percent chance of reaching the postseason.