Jarred Vanderbilt, a power forward with the Los Angeles Lakers, may play again this season after missing more than a month.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (via HoopsHype), Vanderbilt has been improving and may make a comeback before the season ends. He hasn’t played since suffering a foot injury on February 1.
“I’ve heard Vando is getting better,” Buha remarked at the 8:50 mark. It appears that he will return this season; timing is all that matters. Is it going to be two weeks or four weeks from now? When he returns, there is a significant difference.”
The Lakers acquired Vanderbilt from the Utah Jazz last season, and this season, off the bench, he is averaging 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game for Los Angeles. Even though he hasn’t done much offensively for the Lakers, Los Angeles would benefit greatly from his defensive presence as it attempts to push for the playoffs.
The Lakers had a poor start to the season, but during the last two weeks, they have made some progress and are now 35-30 on the year, enough for ninth place in the Western Conference. Getting Vanderbilt back on the court would aid Los Angeles in their final-ditch effort to guarantee a postseason berth.