Jarred Vanderbilt feels ‘great’ heading into preseason, uncertain of status for opening night
During media day, Jarred Vanderbilt addressed his health, saying he feels great while remaining unsure if he’ll be ready for the first game of the season.
Media days are full of cliches, from players talking about the weight they lost and the shape they’re in to coaches wanting to play faster and shoot more threes.
One of the other commonplaces is getting an update on the health of players. After a summer away from the spotlight, a lot of things can change.
For Jarred Vanderbilt, that involved not one, but two surgeries on his feet. While it was met with some shock and surprise when vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka revealed it at his media day presser, it is news that is ultimately a good thing.
After dealing with foot problems all last season that kept him sidelined for most of the year, Vando can now (eventually) return to the court and be at full strength. During his own media day interviews, Vando provided some updates on his status.
Jarred Vanderbilt says physically he's "great" right now. Says medical staff has put together a plan for him this preseason to ramp back up.
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) September 30, 2024
Jarred Vanderbilt on his progress after having surgery on both feet: "I feel great. The process has been going great. ... Everything has been on a great pace and great scheduling. Everything feels good."
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 30, 2024
It certainly sounds like he’ll be able to take part in some capacity during training camp, but it’s not a given when he’ll be back. When asked about his availability for opening night on Oct. 22, Vando said it is still up in the air.
Jarred Vanderbilt said he's feeling good as he continues the rehab process on his feet. Asked about opening night: “I’m not quite sure. The team has put together a great plan for me and we’re making progress.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) September 30, 2024
Even if Vando isn’t ready for the first game of the season — which would be a bit surprising considering it’s three weeks away — having him back near the beginning of the season and healthy will be vital. The Lakers are a different team with Vando healthy, something barely seen last season.
He won’t be in the starting lineup to open the season but his impact will be felt. The Lakers need him back and, fortunately, it sounds like that will be happening sooner than later.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.