2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year ladder: Week 23 power rankings

8. Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers

Last rank: N/A

Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball returned to the basketball court on Feb. 23 after nursing a knee injury. Since his return, Ball is averaging 10.7 points, 7.1 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.

He’s shooting the ball a bit better too. In the past 11 games, he’s shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from 3-point range. His numbers aren’t jumping off the page, but his contributions have been hard not to notice.

The Lakers have a logjam in their backcourt with Isaiah Thomas, Josh Hart and Ball but they’re finding a way to make it work for them. The team is 7-4 since Ball has returned to the rotation.

They’re out of playoff contention but they’ve got building blocks with Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Ball and company. If they can show that the team chemistry is there and find ways to win, they could be a potential playoff team in no time.