Tag: Jarred Vanderbilt

Jarred Vanderbilt won’t play in Tuesday’s Lakers vs. Mavericks game

The Lakers will be without one of their best and versatile defenders on Tuesday when they visit Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

The regular season continues on Tuesday for the Los Angeles Lakers after they won the inaugural NBA Cup on Saturday. They will start a three-game road trip with a contest against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavs defeated L.A. at Crypto.com Arena nearly three weeks ago, and L.A. will surely want to make up for what happened on that night.

The team has been surging over the last month, and it has been getting healthier. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, one of its best and most versatile defenders, recently returned after being sidelined since early in the preseason with heel bursitis. Guard Gabe Vincent appears close to returning himself.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, Vanderbilt will not play on Tuesday due to a back issue.

For the Mavs, star guard Kyrie Irving will not play because of a heel injury, giving the Lakers a big opportunity to improve on their 14-9 record and their sixth-place standing in the Western Conference.

With a win, they can leapfrog the Mavs, who are 14-8 and in third place in the West.

Jarred Vanderbilt is questionable for Tuesday’s Lakers vs. Mavericks game

The Lakers may be without one of their best defenders when they face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Tuesday.

After claiming the inaugural NBA Cup on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers will return to standard regular-season play on Tuesday by starting a three-game road trip. This road trip will take place entirely within the state of Texas, and it begins with a contest against the Dallas Mavericks, who defeated them, 104-101, on Nov. 22.

Playing Dallas means containing Luka Doncic, who is averaging 32 points, 8.5 assists and 8.3 rebounds a game while shooting 38.8 % from 3-point range this season. Last season, the Lakers’ answer to him was forward Jarred Vanderbilt, but Vanderbilt is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game due to a back ailment.

In a late February game versus Dallas last season, Vanderbilt contained Doncic very well while forcing him to commit six turnovers. The Lakers forward also had 17 rebounds, 15 points, four assists and three blocked shots. He was the X-factor in a come-from-behind 111-108 win.

He recently returned from a case of heel bursitis that had sidelined him since early in the preseason.

If he is unable to play on Tuesday, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish will need to put the clamps on the Slovenian superstar.

Lakers fans will be happy to see L.A.’s latest injury update

There have been some big changes to the Lakers’ injury report ahead of Saturday’s game versus the Rockets.

So far this season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had to deal with one injury after another, sometimes in bunches. While none of those injuries have been particularly serious, they have had affected the team’s performance.

Lately, Cam Reddish and Rui Hachimura have missed multiple games with groin soreness and a nasal fracture, respectively. Backup center Jaxson Hayes didn’t play in Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In addition, forward Jarred Vanderbilt and guard Gabe Vincent have been out for multiple weeks. Outside of Anthony Davis, Vanderbilt and Vincent may be L.A.’s best defensive players.

But ahead of Saturday’s home contest versus the Houston Rockets, Hayes and Reddish are listed as probable, while Hachimura and even Vanderbilt are noticeably absent from the injury report.

If the Lakers don’t have any new injuries, they should be able to continue building chemistry after last winter’s trades that remade their supporting cast. They’re 11-9, which puts them in seventh place in the Western Conference, but they’re only two games out of third place, which is held by the Thunder.

Jarred Vanderbilt is gradually ramping up his basketball activity

An update on how much Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has progressed in his return to basketball activity after a bout with heel bursitis.

The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be improving their play of late. They have won seven of their last nine games, which coincides with head coach Darvin Ham’s decision to move Austin Reaves to the bench and start Cam Reddish.

While that spurt also coincides with the team’s improved health, two new injuries have popped up. Reddish has missed the last two games with groin soreness, while Rui Hachimura will be out for at least a few more games due to a nasal fracture.

This whole time, the Lakers have been missing another important forward: Jarred Vanderbilt, who is arguably their best perimeter defender. Per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, he is ramping up his basketball activity by playing 2-on-2 and 3-on-3.

Vanderbilt has been out since the exhibition season with left heel bursitis, and it makes sense the team has been taking it slow with him. That’s especially true since training camp and the preseason are so important for players to get into game shape and build chemistry.

The Lakers are on a four-game road trip that will end on Thursday with a contest against the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder. They will return home to play the Houston Rockets on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Watch: Jarred Vanderbilt doing shooting drills; nearing a return

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt is ramping things up, and he appears to be nearing a return to game action.

The Los Angeles Lakers were short-handed when they took the floor against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. Rui Hachimura recently suffered a nasal fracture that will keep him out for at least a week, and Cam Reddish missed his second straight game with groin soreness.

That is on top of the ongoing absences of forward Jarred Vanderbilt and guard Gabe Vincent. In particular, the Lakers are missing the defensive versatility, rebounding and energy of Vanderbilt, who emerged as a key role player last season when they reached the Western Conference finals.

Vanderbilt appears to be nearing a return to game action. He was seen going through drills on the court (h/t Lakers Daily).

Saturday’s game was the start of a challenging four-game road trip for L.A., so if Vanderbilt is able to return soon, it would serve as a big shot in the arm for the team.

Jarred Vanderbilt may return to game action for the Lakers soon

One of the Lakers’ best and grittiest defenders seems to be on the mend.

The Los Angeles Lakers are 5-5 through 10 games to start the season, and plenty of fans are disappointed the team isn’t over .500 at this point.

Although it has won two games in a row, the team is still, to a certain extent, lacking aggression, especially defensively and on the boards. It struggled to get past a low-quality and banged-up Portland Trail Blazers team on Sunday, and help is needed in the form of getting injured players back.

Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, two of the Lakers’ best and grittiest defenders, have been out lately. Vanderbilt, in particular, hasn’t played since their first preseason game due to left heel bursitis.

Fortunately, the forward has reportedly been cleared to begin a return to play progression.

Vanderbilt’s defensive versatility, energy and intensity will be welcome once he returns to game action. If he starts to consistently hit from 3-point range, he might even challenge for a spot in head coach Darvin Ham’s starting lineup.

It’s clear the Lakers are missing Jarred Vanderbilt

The Lakers need Jarred Vanderbilt, who is out with left heel bursitis, to return and stabilize them with his energy, hustle and defense.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won just three of their first six games to start the 2023-24 season, and each game so far has been like a broken record.

They have trailed at the end of the first quarter in each contest, and their inability to control their defensive backboards and limit their opponents’ second-chance opportunities has stuck out like a cowboy hat in Southern California.

One possible reason — somewhat at least — for the Lakers’ woes has been the fact they have been short-handed. Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent, two of their most integral players off the bench, have been out lately with injuries. Taurean Prince, their starting small forward, has missed their last two games.

But perhaps the man Los Angeles is missing most is Jarred Vanderbilt, who hasn’t played since its first preseason game due to left heel bursitis.

The 6-foot-8 forward quickly emerged as a gem shortly after he arrived in February’s Russell Westbrook trade. His defensive prowess and ability to guard players at multiple positions gave the team a much-needed transfusion on that end of the floor, but his impact went beyond that.

Vanderbilt provided energy and intensity both defensively and on the boards to ignite the Purple and Gold last spring. While he isn’t the most prolific rebounder, he will fight for rebounds and loose balls. In 26 games with the Lakers last season, he averaged 10.0 rebounds per 36 minutes.

Lakers will be without at least three rotation players versus the Magic

The Lakers will be shorthanded when they start a four-game road trip on Saturday.

The Los Angeles Lakers, coming off a thrilling overtime win on Wednesday over the Los Angeles Clippers, will start a four-game road trip on Saturday.

That trip begins with a contest against the Orlando Magic, a team they defeated on Monday, albeit in ugly fashion.

Los Angeles hasn’t been at full strength this season. Forward and defensive ace Jarred Vanderbilt has been out due to left heel bursitis. Rui Hachimura has been out for the last two games, while Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince missed Wednesday’s game.

Vanderbilt, Hachimura and Vincent will be out on Saturday, and Prince is listed as questionable.

The injuries have left the Lakers short-handed at the wing position and in the backcourt. The fact rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has also been out lately with a right patella contusion has made that lack of depth even more painful.

Vincent is expected to miss at least two weeks, while Vanderbilt will be re-evaluated in about a week.

Jarred Vanderbilt will miss at least the next two weeks for the Lakers

The Lakers will have to get things done without standout defender Jarred Vanderbilt for a little while.

The Los Angeles Lakers managed to earn their first win of the season on Thursday, but it wasn’t exactly easy. Facing the Phoenix Suns, they had to overcome 39 points from Kevin Durant and a 12-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to be victorious.

In the fourth quarter, Los Angeles finally put the clamps on Durant thanks to some high-level defense from Anthony Davis and, of all people, Christian Wood. However, there was someone missing from that defensive equation: Jarred Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt, who emerged as the Lakers’ defensive ace down the stretch of last season, has been out since early in the preseason with a left heel ailment. He was re-evaluated on Thursday, and it was determined he will have to miss another two weeks, at least.

According to Dave McMenamin, however, the Lakers did say he is improving.

Vanderbilt may sometimes be an offensive liability, but his defensive effectiveness, versatility and energy were valuable for L.A. when it made its run to the Western Conference finals during the spring of 2023.

For now, newcomer Taurean Prince, who was red-hot in the team’s season opener against the Denver Nuggets but went scoreless on Thursday, is the starter at small forward.

Jarred Vanderbilt will be out for Thursday’s Lakers versus Suns game

The Lakers will once again be without defensive standout Jarred Vanderbilt against Kevin Durant and the Suns on Thursday.

After losing on opening night to the Denver Nuggets, the team that swept them in the Western Conference finals last season, the Los Angeles Lakers look to get back on track on Thursday.

They will host the Phoenix Suns, who won on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. That will mean dealing with Kevin Durant, the living legend who is an ultra-smooth walking bucket at all times.

Dating to February, the Lakers have assigned Jarred Vanderbilt to guard such players. However, Vanderbilt will be out once again on Thursday with a heel ailment that he has been dealing with since training camp. Meanwhile, forward Cam Reddish is listed as probable with right foot soreness.

Reddish, a former lottery pick who has been deemed a bust by some, made a positive contribution on Tuesday with seven efficient points, four rebounds and one blocked shot in 18 minutes. If he also cannot play, Los Angeles will have trouble containing Durant and his teammates.