Lakers Injury Report: Darvin Ham Supplies Troubling Update On Role Player
Not what you want to hear this time of the season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are on a tear. They just wrapped up their last extended road trip of the regular season with an impressive 5-1 record, and are now 11 games above .500 at 44-33 on the year. This is the best stretch of basketball the Purple and Gold have played all season long. However, it hasn't always been easy.
Injuries have kept this team from reaching its true potential, especially with the absence of defensive-minded forward Jarred Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt has missed two full months of the season due to a foot injury, and his return timeline is still unclear. According to Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, Vanderbilt will be re-evaluated early next week.
The Lakers only have five games remaining in the season. The team sits in the West's ninth seed and has been stuck there for most of the year. Vando's performance has been missed dearly, as the Lakers are among the bottom half in the league's defensive net rating since his absence.
The 25-year-old is the second most crucial defender on the club, after superstar center Anthony Davis. Vanderbilt hasn't played since February 1st due to a mid-foot sprain. Nonetheless, he is targeting to return by the play-in tournament.
He likely will not be 100% by his return; however, his infectious energy and peskiness could be enough to take LA into another deep playoff run.
