The injury bug has been an annoyance for the Los Angeles Lakers all season. While it hasn’t been a major factor in their lack of success, it has made it difficult for head coach Darvin Ham to achieve any real consistency with his lineups and rotations.
Right now, guard Gabe Vincent, big man Christian Wood and forward Jarred Vanderbilt are out with injuries. Vincent and Vanderbilt are arguably the team’s two best perimeter defenders, while Vanderbilt and Wood are two of its best rebounders.
Vincent has appeared in just five games this season due to a persistent knee issue that eventually required surgery. He last played on Dec. 20, and there has been significant pessimism regarding the chances of him returning this season.
Yet, according to Shams Charania, Vincent is “progressing to conditioning and ramping up on the floor,” and he could return to game action as soon as next week (h/t Lakers Daily).
"Gabe Vincent finally to the point where he's progressing to conditioning and ramping up on the floor. His window I'm told to potentially return, begins next week."@ShamsCharania updates on Gabe Vincent.
📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/N0pSrH6TQx
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 11, 2024
Last season, Vincent played a key role in the Miami Heat’s Cinderella run to the NBA Finals by playing some gritty defense and hitting key, timely outside shots. Los Angeles signed him to a three-year, $33 million deal last summer.
