Jarred Vanderbilt left the match vs. Celtics, an optimistic update on his injury

Jarred Vanderbilt hasn't been the luckiest Lakers star this season, as he missed the first 20 games of the 2023-24 NBA season, and coach Darvin Ham hasn't given him his starting role, the one he had at the end of last regular season and the playoffs, despite that lineup being the team's best.

Now that Vanderbilt was finally back to the starting lineup, as Anthony Davis and LeBron James sat out of the key game against the Boston Celtics, after 16 minutes of playtime, with LA leading on the board, Vando got hurt and left the game early to sit out the rest of it.

The purple and gold took the huge win, but the bad news was Vanderbilt as he has been a major driving force behind them taking an early lead and being the second-best defensive player of the group just behind Anthony Davis when he was available.

Fortunately, the latest update of his injury report has his X-rays on that foot are negative according to information by The Athletic's Jovan Buha. His defensive activity and versatility, ferociousness on the boards, and overall energy and intensity have been invaluable for a Lakers team that has often lacked those qualities this season. Recently, he has also found ways to contribute offensively.

The LA Lakers need Jarred Vanderbilt back ASAP

If Vanderbilt were to miss any time, especially for an extended stretch, it would be a major negative for them, especially since they have had lots of trouble getting more than a few games over .500 all season.