Things took a left turn for the Los Angeles Lakers as injury issues hit them pretty badly as the new season began. They looked good and balanced in the offseason. They were on their way to compete for the title this season. After the team had an inspiring turnaround last season that saw them reach the conference finals, the front office decided to keep the core together. That’s what they did successfully. But the player whom the LA side will miss is Jarred Vanderbilt.
If Jarred Vanderbilt had not sustained an injury, he could have strengthened the defense of the LA side. But Vando sustained a severe heel injury in the preseason. Later, he missed several games, including a couple of preseason and regular season games. Initially, the doctors said they would examine Vando’s sore heel on Thursday. And after Thursday’s evaluation, the Lakers revealed Jarred Vanderbilt won’t return for another two weeks.
Jarred Vanderbilt Won’t Return To The Lineup In The Next Two Weeks
Currently, Vando is suffering from left heel bursitis. However, the doctors said he is improving, and they’ll examine him again after a couple of weeks. In the next two weeks, the Lakers will play seven games. Albeit, examining him after two weeks does not mean that he will return for sure after two weeks. Vando hurt his heel in the preseason opener between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. Later, he missed several contests. Initially, it looked like just soreness of the heel. But recently, the doctors said it is Bursitis, which is inflammation in joints due to a lot of usage.
However, the Lakers coach has not really revealed too many details about Vando’s recovery. Moreover, Darvin Ham mentioned it is too early to say anything about the injury as it is so early in the season. But the coach added that there is no need to rush the process of Jarred Vanderbilt’s recovery. Ham showed this calm attitude since the regular season game against the Phoneix Suns. It was the home opener for the Lakers on Thursday. Moreover, Taurean Prince took Vando’s place in the starting lineup in his absence.
The Lakers Have Enough Depth To Cover For One Player
Moreover, the key players signed multi-year deals with the LA side. For instance, Jarred Vanderbilt and Austin Reaves signed four-year contract extensions. Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis signed three-year contract extensions. On top of that, D’Angelo Russell signed a two-year deal. But Russell looks pretty determined to prove his worth this season. Previously, he disappointed the Lakers Nation in the playoffs. Later, coach Darvin Ham had to bench D’Lo for good reasons.
Anyway, the Lakers kept the core tight and signed key players like Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, and Taurean Prince. As a result, the LA side has a lot of depth and balance for the new season. Even if one player sustains a severe injury that gets him out for several days, the Lakers should be able to manage without that player. That’s the kind of situation the 17-time champions have to deal with so early this regular season. However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still more or less healthy, apparently. In fact, the James-Davis duo is more injury-prone.