This season has brought a continual string of injuries for the Los Angeles Lakers. A few players have been hit harder by the injury bug than others.
Forward Jarred Vanderbilt didn’t make his regular season debut until Dec. 2 because of a bout with heel bursitis. It took him a while to get into game shape, but over the last few weeks, he had started to look like his old self.
He was seemingly everywhere in the first half of the Lakers’ stunning win on Thursday over the Boston Celtics. Alas, he came up hobbling late in the first half and went straight to the locker room.
The team reportedly expects him to miss several weeks with a right foot injury, and he could 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
This will be a major loss for L.A. Vanderbilt has given the team ample defensive energy and activity, help on the boards and positive play on the fast break since arriving in a trade nearly a year ago.