Walton is nearly back, and team can’t wait

Luke Walton had hoped he would rejoin his Lakers teammates tonight, that he’d jump in against Portland and pick up some of the threads that had unraveled during the five-game losing streak and 4-11 slump that preceded the All-Star break.

If he gets on the court at all, it will be to take shooting practice long before the doors to Staples Center are thrown open.

Walton’s right ankle, sprained Jan. 26 when he stepped on the foot of teammate Andrew Bynum, has been slow to heal. He felt comfortable enough 10 days ago to try running and cutting, but the pain returned and he was ordered to avoid all basketball-related activities for a week. Tuesday, he said, was his best workout yet and it was mostly pain free.

It was “the first day I did stuff,” he said. “I was able to do straight-on running, and do some agility work. I still can’t do what it takes to play in a game, but hopefully, it won’t get sore.”

His progress, though encouraging, wasn’t enough to make today the day the Lakers have anticipated since they lost his passing skills, outside shooting and solid locker-room presence.

The Lakers have dealt with injuries since Kobe Bryant sat out the first two games of the season because of soreness in his surgically repaired right knee. They’ve had the depth to ably compensate until the last month, when their defense disintegrated and their offense became disjointed.

There’s no single cause. They miss Kwame Brown’s defensive presence and rebounding, and they miss the scoring touch Lamar Odom has been unable to recapture since he injured his right knee. Losing Vladimir Radmanovic, who separated his right shoulder when he fell on a patch of ice during an All-Star break vacation, is little more than the loss of a warm body except that it will stretch an overtaxed bench.

Losing Walton, however, has cost the Lakers more than even his career-best 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game suggest.

Initially slotted to come off the bench, the fourth-year forward became a starter when Radmanovic suffered a hand injury during the exhibition season. Walton capitalized on the opportunity with maturity and remarkably sure shooting, leading the NBA in three-point percentage in the early weeks and giving the Lakers another offensive option.

He ranked third behind Bryant and Odom in team scoring and minutes, and he worked well with Odom, who would penetrate and pitch the ball to him for those long shots. He also brought a quality that can’t be quantified or easily replaced.

“We’ve lost the unselfish attitude that Luke carries on the floor and makes players better,” Coach Phil Jackson said.

There can be no greater compliment than that for Walton, one of Bill Walton’s four sons and the one who most resembles his Hall of Fame father.

“That’s always what my dad told me and my brothers, growing up, that you always want to be a player that people like to play with and a player that gets their teammates better,” Walton said Tuesday at the Lakers’ El Segundo practice facility.

“So it’s something I’ll always try to do. Play team ball, get everybody moving and cutting and shooting. And to me, that’s the most fun way to play. I try to take pride in playing like that.”

Watching the Lakers falter has probably caused him more pain than his ankle has. They’re 3-8 since he left the lineup.

“It’s more than jut a five-game losing streak. It’s been a couple weeks now,” he said. “Our record started to drop and our playoff seeding and we need to start taking care of things again....

“It’s very frustrating when the team starts struggling and losing games that you know you should win, that you know are going to end up hurting you. Right now, we’re playing probably the worst we’ve played all season, so hopefully this All-Star break gave everyone a couple days to get away and get the edge back and we’ll come out and start playing like we did earlier in the year.”

When they succeeded, it was because of their chemistry and will, he said, a combination that can be recreated with some effort.

“It gets hard. It’s easier said than done,” he said. “I think that’s why we’ve had so many ups and downs this year. It’s easier for a veteran team, which we’re not yet. But we’ve got leaders in Kobe and Lamar, who do a great job of keeping everybody calm, and we just try to follow their lead.”

If all goes well with his ankle, today and Thursday, Walton is targeting his return for Friday against the Boston Celtics. Although that may be overly optimistic, it would be the best news the Lakers could receive short of a gift-wrapped Jason Kidd landing on their doorstep.

“I can’t wait to get back on the court. I feel like the season’s just about to start,” he said. “I’m excited. I’m waiting for this ankle to get to where it will do what my mind tells it to do, and then hopefully we’ll have a strong end of the season.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com