The Los Angeles Lakers have been hit by the injury bug hard recently as LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) and Anthony Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy and left hip spasm) missed Thursday night’s game against the Boston Celtics.
Additionally, Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) and Gabe Vincent (left knee surgery) continue to be out as they recover from their respective injuries.
Meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt was the latest Lakers player to go down with an injury. He got the start in James’ place on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics and looked awesome with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals in 16 minutes. Unfortunately, he suffered the foot injury on a non-contact play at the end of the first half and was unable to return.
While X-rays came back negative of Vanderbilt’s foot, he still needed to undergo further testing before determining the exact severity of the injury. It appears it is not looking good though, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
ESPN Sources with @McTen: Lakers F Jarred Vanderbilt is expected to miss several weeks with a right foot injury. Further evaluation is expected to see if it’s an injury that might keep him out even longer. pic.twitter.com/80JzJnVIkl
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2024
There’s more evaluation that needs to be done on right mid-foot area for Vanderbilt and possibility his absence could be more significant than several weeks, sources said. Vanderbilt’s played some of his best ball as a Laker lately and certainly is one of team’s best defenders. https://t.co/5eF8UEgSnI
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2024
While how long Vanderbilt will be out has yet to be determined, this is obviously a huge blow for him and the Lakers.
After missing the first couple of months of the season with a left heel issue, Vanderbilt was finally able to return and get close to full health, playing some of the best basketball of his career in recent weeks.
He is not only the team’s best perimeter defender, but his energy and toughness are not something that can be easily replicated. With only a couple months left in the regular season, it’s possible that Vanderbilt could be done for the year.
Lakers interested in Nets wings
In Jarred Vanderbilt’s absence, other guys like Taurean Prince, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie and Reddish will need to step up for the Lakers, although they could also look to the trade market for reinforcements on the wing. T
he Lakers have already been linked to Brooklyn Nets wings Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale and now could step up their efforts to acquire one of both before the Feb. 8 deadline.
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