Because of a left heel bursitis that has kept him sidelined since the team’s opening preseason game, dominant defensive forward Jarred Vanderbilt remains one of the most vital members of the Lakers roster who has yet to don an NBA uniform this season.
Undoubtedly, the Lakers are eagerly anticipating his return to the court, and they have recently received positive developments in that regard. Vanderbilt has been gradually intensifying play since receiving clearance to return to play progression.
However, it appears that Vanderbilt has far to go before it can put on its uniforms. When queried whether the Lakers forward had initiated contact, head coach Darvin Ham responded that this had not yet occurred.
“No. Ham stated before the Lakers’ victory over the Utah Jazz, “Not at this time.”
Despite this, Vanderbilt remains optimistic that the next level is imminent, as he continues to exert himself in an effort to return to the court as quickly as possible. However, the Lakers will exercise caution and wait for him to fully recover. Thus far, this has entailed conditioning and low-impact activities to determine how his body reacts.
Additionally, Ham mentioned that Vanderbilt will resume his route to recovery on Wednesday, following a day of rest on Tuesday.
“Today was a recovery day for him, if anything,” the Lakers coach further elaborated. “Therefore, he will resume his recovery efforts tomorrow.”
Vanderbilt was critical to the success of the Lakers during the previous season. His ability to defend nearly every position on the court renders him an invaluable asset to the team as a whole; his intensity and willingness to perform dirty labor are both missed.
His struggles have been on the offensive end of the court, but he has worked incredibly hard to improve offensively this offseason, especially his three-point shooting. Upon establishing himself as a dependable deep shooter, he will become one of the most indispensable role players in the NBA immediately. However, Vanderbilt’s primary objective is to return to action for the Lakers.