DENVER — It stays unclear whether or not Los Angeles Lakers forwards Christian Wooden and Jarred Vanderbilt, who missed Recreation 1 of their Western Convention first-round sequence in opposition to the Denver Nuggets, shall be out there to return at any level within the sequence.
Wooden has been sidelined since Feb. 14 due to discomfort in his left knee, present process arthroscopic surgical procedure on March 19. He averaged 6.9 factors on 46.6% capturing (30.7% from 3) and 5.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per recreation previous to the damage.
“All I am going to say is he is nonetheless going by means of his restoration course of from damage, his rehab course of,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham stated on a convention name with reporters when requested about Wooden’s potential to return. “Clearly, he has measurement, he has size, he has rebounding capabilities, he can stretch the ground. However at the start, he has a pair extra bins to verify earlier than we even contemplate that.”
Wooden averaged 5.0 factors on 80% capturing and 4.0 rebounds in two regular-season video games in opposition to the Nuggets.
The absence of Wooden and Vanderbilt has restricted the Lakers’ depth on the bench, which had just one participant who scored in Saturday’s 114-103 Recreation 1 loss to the Nuggets.
Denver’s reserves outscored Los Angeles’ bench 17-11 on Saturday. Taurean Prince was the one Lakers substitute to attain, placing up 11 factors on 4-for-7 capturing in 20 minutes. He was additionally the one Lakers reserve to aim a shot. Jaxson Hayes, Spencer Dinwiddie and Gabe Vincent all had zero discipline objective makes an attempt.
The Lakers have been with out Vanderbilt since Feb. 1 due to a proper midfoot sprain.
Ham stated Thursday that Vanderbilt’s restoration routine was “going in line with plan” and declined any additional timeline for the ahead’s return to the lineup.
Vanderbilt wore a strolling boot on his proper foot on Friday for the workforce’s flight to Denver and nonetheless had it on as he noticed Lakers apply at Ball Area from the sidelines. Ham stated that the boot was “only a precautionary measure” and stated Vanderbilt’s restoration stays a “day-to-day factor.”
