Lakers' Lonzo Ball (knee) aiming to return February 23

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball (knee) said he feels "good enough to play," but will sit out through the All-Star break and is planning on returning February 23 against the Dallas Mavericks.

What It Means:

This means Ball will not participate in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday but the rookie did say he would be able to play right now if it were the playoffs. Lonzo hasn't played since January 13. Look for Josh Hart and Isaiah Thomas to continue soaking up additional minutes in the Lakers' upcoming back-to-back set. They play the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday before heading into the break.

Ball averaged 33.7 FanDuel points in 36 games prior to injury. Once he returns, numberFire's models project him to record 13.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 3-pointers per game.