Lakers Received Horrible News Regarding Latest Jarred Vanderbilt Injury Update
It wasn't all smiles during the Los Angeles Lakers' 114-105 upset win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt exited with a foot injury during the second quarter and didn't return, leaving fans to wonder about the severity of his injury.
Unfortunately, it looks like Lakers fans won't see the former Kentucky product for quite some time.
Sources close to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin reveal that "Vanderbilt is expected to miss several weeks with a right foot injury." What's even more concerning is that further testing will be done to determine if the 24-year-old will be "out even longer."
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
Lakers News: Jarred Vanderbilt Expect to Miss "Several Weeks"
Vanderbilt's injury is even more unfortunate considering how well he was playing against the Celtics. He was given his sixth start of the year with both LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles) out of the lineup and made the most of his opportunity, recording 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting while adding seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists in just 16 minutes of action.
The former 2017 McDonald's All-American has dealt with injuries throughout the 2023-24 campaign. Vanderbilt was hampered by a heel injury in the preseason and didn't make his season debut until Dec. 2. He's played 29 games (6 starts) since then, averaging 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 assists with a .518/.296/.667 slash line while playing 20 minutes per night.
Vanderbilt is one of the Lakers' best defenders and his versatility has seen him play minutes at every position except point guard this season. With James and Davis banged up while Cam Reddish (ankle) and Gabe Vincent (knee) are also on the sidelines, Los Angeles' latest injury is a massive blow.
As of Feb. 2, the Lakers sit ninth in the Western Conference with a 25-25 record, however, they're just 1.5 games away from falling out of the Play-In Tournament. Tankathon lists Los Angeles as having the 12th-hardest remaining schedule based on winning percentage, so things could get worse if Darvin Ham's team can't get healthier soon.
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