The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a better start than last season. They have a 4-3 record through seven games and have yet to play with two of their forwards, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood. The two have been recovering from previous injuries to last year. Vanderbilt has not played this season he last played in February of 2024, as he is recovering from foot surgeries. Wood also has not played this season, and his last game was on February 14th, 2024. Wood also has been recovering from several arthroscopic surgeries on his knee. The purple and gold aren’t desperate as of yet but are for sure looking forward to these reinforcements. The impact both Vanderbilt and Wood have on the floor will be huge moving forth into the season when they are to return.
Lakers Patiently Waiting for These Reinforcements
Jarred Vanderbilt Timetable to Return
Any hope of a return being near for Vanderbilt seems to be out of the picture. There was some unclarity as to whether or not Vanderbilt was able to suit up for opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. During his Media Day report, Vanderbilt gave some reassuring news about his progression on a return. However, news from Redick before the team’s game against the Raptors this past Friday says otherwise.
JJ Redick says Jarred Vanderbilt is “progressing.” He’s had some “minor discomfort,” which Redick notes is normal when getting back onto the floor.
“I don’t think he’s a day or two away from playing,” Redick said. “We’ll have another update in a week or so.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 1, 2024
Lakers faithful were expecting Vanderbilt to be back sooner. It seems we’re still on a timeline of weeks and not days when talking about his injury and his expected return. Being patient with Vanderbilt seems to be the right move in order for him to get back on the floor at full strength. We are to see in the coming weeks more updates on an exact timeframe for his return.
Christian Wood
Prior to the start of the season, Wood gave some positive news during media day regarding his surgery and his return.
“Everything’s good,” Wood said. “The rehab’s been going great. I’m excited to get back early in the season.” “I’ll probably start ramping things up in two weeks. But it’s going to probably take another two weeks after that just to get in game shape.”
The team announced an eight-week timeline after his surgery on Sep. 9. With that timeframe coming to a close; we still haven’t gotten any clarity as to exactly when Wood will ramp up his process to getting back on the floor. It feels likely that mid-November to early December would be the ideal scenario for his return. However, in regards to Wood’s current situation, Redick and the coaching staff haven’t given updates about his return. Ideally, Lakers fans are hoping these two can get back out there before the end of the year.
Impact of Wood and Vanderbilt’s Return
Last season, in the limited amount of time Vanderbilt played, he averaged 5.2 points on 51.8% shooting and 4.8 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. The Lakers know the impact Vanderbilt brings, particularly on the defensive side of the floor. He is highly versatile, with the ability to defend almost any type of perimeter and interior threat on the ball while still helping to disrupt offenses. Vanderbilt’s energy, rebounding, and versatility on the defensive end is something LA is looking forward to getting back. Although his numbers on the offensive end seem to lack, that isn’t the role Vanderbilt is used for. We saw the stints of Vanderbilt through the 2023 playoffs and are hoping they can get the defensive reinforcement he is back soon.
For the 2023-24 season, Wood averaged 6.9 points on 46.6% shooting and 5.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game. The 28-year-old showcased impressive production in the past, notably averaging 19.1 points on 50.7% shooting and 9.9 rebounds per game from 2020-2022 for the Houston Rockets. Although his numbers have declined since being with the Lakers, expect his minutes to rise when he returns. Redick has emphasized wanting more shooting and spacing the floor, which is something Wood can be phenomenal at. Unlike Vanderbilt, Wood is someone who can be quite versatile on both ends of the floor. All in all, with no exact timeframe for their returns, the Lakers look forward to getting back both of these reinforcements for their team, hopefully before the end of the year.
