Lakers hold rookie forward Kuzma out of Warriors game after testing his injured ankle

Rookie forward Kyle Kuzma tested his injured right ankle earlier in light shooting and movement Wednesday. He said, “It didn’t necessarily feel the way I and the staff wanted it to,” so he was held out of playing the Golden State Warriors.

“It isn’t really worth it,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said of Kuzma, averaging 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. “Get treatment tomorrow and go day by day … .”

Walton shifted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to small forward and teamed point guards Lonzo Ball and Isaiah Thomas in the backcourt to accommodate for Kuzma’s absence.

Kuzma said he was experiencing some minor pain during his Wednesday session while simultaneously nagged by the idea that 14 games remain on the schedule.

“Of course, I wanted to play, but there’s no point in playing whatever percentage you’re at with those games left,” Kuzma said.

Kuzma said he expects to return “soon,” pressing to play Friday’s game against the Miami Heat at Staples Center.

With Lakers Brandon Ingram, Channing Frye and Josh Hart also out, the visitors looked across Oracle Arena and saw the Warriors missing their backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson along with Draymond Green also out.

“It’s like South Bay against Santa Cruz,” Kuzma joked of the teams’ D-League affiliates.

Keep shooting

Ball entered Wednesday’s game 2-of-13 from three-point range and four-of-22 from the field in the two games before Wednesday’s.

“Anytime it’s open, I just shoot it,” Ball said after burying a three that gave the Lakers the lead in Tuesday’s comeback victory over Denver. “Whether I make it or miss it, it’s just on to the next shot.

“I just know in crunch time you gotta do what you can to help your team win. If I have the ball, I think I can make it.”

Walton assessed that most of the rookie and No. 2-overall draft pick’s shots were fine.

“There were a couple I felt like he rushed,” Walton said while praising the go-ahead shot as “one of my favorite things about Lonzo. He likes the pressure of the game. Yes, we want his shot to go in, and, yes, we believe in his shot.”

Lakers pride alive and well

Longtime Southern Californians Ball and forward Travis Wear admitted they took motivation in knowing Golden State was only a Wednesday victory away from sweeping the Lakers in the season series for the first time since 1994.

“There’s pride in the team and pride in myself, too. Nobody wants to lose four straight times to the same team,” Ball said. “I always like my chances, especially late in the season. We’re getting a lot better – buying in, playing defense – and it’s showing on the court.”

Wear, a Santa Ana Mater Dei High product, said the focus is “on vibing well, building on what we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks. To execute down the stretch, to look at the strides we’ve made is a good thing to fall back on.”

Time to shine

Forward Derrick Williams, a La Mirada High product and 2011 No. 2 overall draft pick who signed a 10-day contract Friday, said he’s confident he can help the team through its injury woes.

After cycling through five NBA teams, Williams said he found peace about the type of player he can be while averaging 20 points a game in China.

“It was good, not only mentally but physically about blocking out what you need and don’t need in life,” Williams said. “It put things in perspective. It was good for my game, a step forward toward the journey I’m taking.”

While Walton lamented Williams hasn’t had sufficient practice time, the 6-foot-8 forward said, “near the end of the season, it’s tough to be up to speed with every single play, but the guys have been great in helping me.”

Williams said he doesn’t view the remaining games as “a time crunch” as he seeks to stick with the team.

“Being such a high pick, you get caught up with not being sure with what teams want from you – franchise player, role player. China allowed me to just go out there and not worry about mistakes, all the little things that don’t matter.

“Just go out there and play. … So I’m ready for the opportunity.”

Staff writer Tania Ganguli contributed to this report.

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