Key Lakers Forward Remains Day To Day Ahead Of Tuesday’s Season Opener Vs Nuggets

A critical role player could be sidelined against the reigning champs.

Your Los Angeles Lakers may not be whole heading into their 2023-24 NBA season opener against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, who swept LA in the Western Conference Finals last spring en route to their first-ever league title.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has revealed that power forward Jarred Vanderbilt is currently considered day-to-day as he grapples with a sore heel that has kept him sidelined for all but 13 minutes of the club's six-game preseason run.

Buha adds that the team will provide an update on the status of rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who has a right knee contusion that kept him out of two preseason bouts for Los Angeles, later today.

Upon being traded to the Lakers from the Utah Jazz as part of LA's three-team deal to ditch Russell Westbrook, Vanderbilt quickly was installed as the club's starter at the four spot, thanks primarily to his insane defensive versatility. The 6'9" Kentucky product averaged 7.2 points on 52.9% shooting from the field, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals across 26 regular season games (24 starts). 

His offense took a nosedive in the playoffs, against keyed-in opposing defenses. Vanderbilt's minutes were slashed from 24 to 16.5, and his output shrank to just 4.6 points on 40% shooting, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals a night. He was particularly helpless against Denver's formidable frontline, so his absence may not be felt much in this particular game Tuesday.

The LA front office inked Vanderbilt to a lucrative four-year, $48 million contract extension this summer, no doubt hoping the 24-year-old can continue his production defensively while perhaps boosting his shooting acumen.

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