As they fight to escape the Western Conference play-in stage, the Los Angeles Lakers (37-32) suddenly look likely to miss three of their injured players for the rest of the year. This is a far from ideal development. Bill Reiter CBS Sports reports that sources have informed it that combo forward Jarred Vanderbilt, forward/center Christian Wood and point guard Gabe Vincent are all on the verge of being sidelined for good.
Sources say @CBSSports that Los Angeles Lakers players Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent will miss the rest of the season. Although Vanderbilt could still return, according to sources, that is not expected to happen. @espn first reported the news about Wood.
– Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) March 19, 2024
Vincent barely played for Los Angeles. He was limited to just five competitions due to a left knee effusion injury that ultimately required surgery. The Lakers signed him using their mid-level exception this summer, signing him to a three-year, $33 million deal. This appears to be in direct contradiction to an earlier report from Shams Charania from FanDuel TV. On the show “Run It Back,” Charania noted last week that Vincent seemed to be making progress in his rehabilitation.
Vincent averaged just 5.4 points with .375/.118/.500 shooting times, three assists, 1.2 steals and one rebound in those five games this season. These numbers were notably well below his solid averages of 12.7 points on .402/.378/.882 shooting splits, 3.5 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 steals during the run. Miami Heat until 2023. NBA Finals. Expected to be Los Angeles’ best perimeter point-of-attack defender, Vincent was effectively replaced in Los Angeles’ lineup by buyout market acquisition Spencer Dinwiddie.
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Vanderbilt is Los Angeles’ second-best defender behind All-Star center Anthony Davis (and perhaps its best perimeter defender). The absence of Vanderbilt and Vincent for most of the year took its toll on that side of the court. The Lakers currently rank 15th in defensive rating (116.0) and just 23rd in opponent points allowed per game (117.6).
The 6’8″ Kentucky product had averaged 5.2 points on 51.8% shooting from the field, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per night during his 29 healthy games this season. He signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension with Los Angeles last summer. He is expected to start next summer. Vanderbilt’s offensive limitations have made him a bit of a liability in the playoffs last spring. It would have been helpful for the Lakers to see how he would perform this year, as the team figures out how to move its roster forward. Reiter notes that Vanderbilt has at least a chance to make a comeback this year .
Christian Wood, for his part, goes under the knife for left knee repair this week. He has been absent since February 14. He signed a one-year minimum contract over the summer and was an intriguing theoretical fit as a big man on the floor, although his shooting touch has been lacking this year. He only connects on 30.7% of his 2.3 triple attempts.
Los Angeles is the ninth seed in the Western Conference with a 37-32 record. If the playoffs started today, the Lakers would face the sharpshooting, 35-32 Golden State Warriors. Missing Wood and Vanderbilt would perhaps greatly hinder Los Angeles’ greatest attribute in a talented West: the size of its frontcourt. But ultimately, these are marginal pieces. Head coach Darvin Ham will just have to rely more on frontcourt reserves Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish (who is dealing with an ankle injury himself, but is expected to return) and Jaxson Hayes.
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