The Los Angeles Lakers are optimistic that their defensive-minded forward Jarred Vanderbilt will be ready for opening night.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka spoke to the media on Wednesday and provided an update on Vanderbilt. He said that Vanderbilt had procedures on each of his feet this offseason and believes he will be ready by opening night.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared via Twitter/X.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic shared that Vanderbilt’s surgery happened right after the season.
Vanderbilt has not played for the Lakers since Feb. 1.
The 25-year-old had an injury-riddled season in 2023-24. He only appeared in 29 games last season, and the Lakers desperately missed his defensive presence. Vanderbilt was a key piece to the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference Finals two years ago, as he brought defensive versatility that is hard to come by.
Vanderbilt struggled with a lingering bone spur that was also cleared up during the procedures. Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Vanderbilt was struggling with a heel issue that caused him to miss the beginning of the season. He found his groove sometime in January, but the foot issue came up once the calendar flipped to February.
Earlier in the year, Vanderbilt shared his frustration on being unable to help his team.
“It definitely was frustrating not being available,” Vanderbilt said. “It’s been a long year dealing with injuries and trying to get healthy to be there for the team. So it definitely was frustrating, especially knowing I could have contributed to some of the stuff we were lacking this year. So definitely was frustrating.”
“The thing with foot injuries is they just take time,” he said. “I put myself in position to be prepared and give myself the best chance to potentially play and I think attacking the full rehab process and doing everything possible that I could to put myself on the floor. So that was the process.”
A healthy Vanderbilt is everything and more for the Lakers. When he is healthy, he brings toughness, defensive versatility, and can guard 1-4 on the court.
His numbers may not shine on the stat sheet, but he brings all the little things needed for a championship-level team. If the Lakers can remain healthy, they can compete with the best teams in the league, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Boston Celtics, to name a few.
The Lakers will tip off the regular season on Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
