8. Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have a gem in rookie point guard Lonzo Ball, but he’s currently sidelined with a knee injury. Ball hasn’t appeared in a Lakers’ uniform since Jan. 13 but his status in this week’s rankings stands for a variety of reasons.
First reason: The Lakers are 15-21 with Ball in the lineup and 2-8 with him out of the lineup this season. Los Angeles is currently on a two-game winning streak without Ball in the rotation, but he’s a key cog in Los Angeles’ roster whether we want to admit it or not.
Ball is averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 36 appearances this season. His shooting numbers haven’t been all that impressive, but they’ve improved. He’s currently shooting 35.6 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from 3-point range. You know else struggled early in their career as a shooter? Jason Kidd.