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Rajon Rondo could miss 4-5 weeks after surgery

Just when things were starting to get good for the Lakers, they suffer an untimely injury that could hinder their ability to keep their winning ways going. I’m talking about Rajon Rondo, who suffered a broken finger during Wednesday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

According to CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger, Rondo should miss at least a month while recovering from a broken hand:

"“On Thursday, Rondo underwent successful surgery on his broken right hand and is expected to be out of action for 4-5 weeks. The team revealed that Rondo had injured the third metatarsal in his right hand during Wednesday’s contest.”"

It’s a painful blow to the Lakers, who have benefited greatly from Rondo’s presence off the bench. The veteran point guard was averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game on the year, while also shooting a relatively impressive 42.9 percent from downtown. Don’t think he’ll stay quiet during his extended absence, though.

As ESPN‘s Ohm Youngmisuk puts it, Rondo returned to practice the day after breaking his hand, “barking out insights and instructions to his teammates.” Those 13+ years of NBA experience seem to be serving L.A. well, as he’s taking this as an opportunity to help coach the “Baby Lakers.”

While Rondo will be missed, those 4-5 weeks will be the perfect opportunity for Lonzo Ball to see more minutes and convince this Lakers staff that he can thrive alongside the King.