Lakers Injury Report: Darvin Ham Suggests LA Forward Had Been Playing Hurt

This Lakers forward has returned to full health.

In their victories over two top Western Conference teams in their past two games, one Los Angeles Lakers role player has been playing exceptionally well, essentially single-handedly swinging the team's defense.

Jarred Vanderbilt has been great both on and off the ball, utilizing his energy, athleticism, length, and instincts to disrupt passing lanes and run the break. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Vando can guard 1-4, wreaking havoc at all times. 

Darvin Ham began his press conference by shouting out Jarred Vanderbilt for his all-around defensive effort. Ham noted that Vando isn't just healthy, but truly back in "game shape."

— michael corvo (@michaelcorvo_) January 18, 2024

He opened the season with a heel injury (bursitis), which caused the start of his season to be delayed quite a bit. Even after returning, however, he clearly wasn't 100%, lacking aggression on offense, conditioning, and the explosiveness/speed he uses on the defensive side of the ball. 

Leaving the Lakers without his production, the team looked much worse than they did during their playoff run last season, where he started 13 of the team's games. His defense and ability to chase players like Stephen Curry around screens played an integral role in LA having one of the league's top playoff defenses. 

Darvin Ham saying that Vanderbilt is now officially back in "game shape" means his playing time should continue to increase, while his impact remains strong. LA has looked like a completely different team the past two games as he and D'Angelo Russell have seemingly fully returned to form.

Let's see if him and Russell can keep it up, because if they can, the potential of LA staying quiet at the trade deadline is strong.