The Los Angeles Lakers hope to have a healthier squad this upcoming season to be better equipped to compete in a stacked Western Conference.
In a report by The Athletic’s Jovan Buha last month, he said that the Los Angeles Lakers have “high hopes” for Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent to contribute to the team soon after both missed a huge chunk of last season due to injuries.
However, in a recent episode of the LakeShow Podcast, Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet expressed his pessimism about Jarred Vanderbilt’s fitness ahead of next season.
“Vando’s going to be interesting. I’m not sure he’s going to be ready for training camp or even for the preseason games,” Bresnahan said. “He opted not to have a procedure in season, got hurt in February, and so we’ll see if he’s ready to go. I don’t have a lot of details on it, but I’m not sure he’ll be ready for training camp. Regular season, different story, hopefully, he’s ready by then.”
Los Angeles Lakers need Jarred Vanderbilt back
When JJ Redick was introduced as the new Los Angeles Lakers head coach in June, the former 15-year NBA veteran expressed his excitement to have Jarred Vanderbilt in his team next season.
“He can change the energy of an entire game, and he doesn’t have to do it with scoring, which makes him really unique. I can’t wait to coach him. Obviously he has some rehab to do for the rest of the summer, but when he’s healthy, he’s going to be a big part of what we do,” Redick said via the team’s official website.
Vanderbilt only played 29 games (six starts) in 2023-24, averaging 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per night on 51.8 percent shooting from the field. The 25-year-old is one of the most underrated and versatile defenders in the NBA today.
