According to Jovan Buha, a Lakers insider from The Athletic, Vanderbilt is going to be back this season; it’s just a matter of when exactly.
“I’ve heard Vando is progressing upward,”
“It sounds like he’s going to be back this season; it’s just a matter of like timing. Is it two weeks from now, is it four weeks from now? There is a big difference in terms of when he returns.”
“It sounds like [Jarred Vanderbilt]'s going to be back this season; it's just a matter of timing”
Vanderbilt, out since Feb. 1 when he suffered a foot injury, has been progressing upward and could return before the end of the season.
(@jovanbuha) pic.twitter.com/WOG2Ce8nsx
— The Laker Files (@LakerFiles) March 10, 2024
Vanderbilt has missed the last month of the season due to a foot injury. He suffered the injury on February 1st during the Lakers’ Grammy road trip against the Boston Celtics.
The 24-year-old may be nonexistent on offense, but his defense makes up for it. He’s by far the second-best and most impactful defender outside of superstar Anthony Davis. He is averaging 5.2 points in the season on 51.8% shooting from the file, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 assists.
Vanderbilt missed the start of the regular season due to left heel soreness. Injuries have been a pain for the Lakers and their defensive-minded forward. Nonetheless, this is excellent news for all parties involved. We can’t wait to have the Vandolorian back on the court. Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.
