So far this season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had to deal with one injury after another, sometimes in bunches. While none of those injuries have been particularly serious, they have had an impact on the team’s performance.
Lately, Cam Reddish and Rui Hachimura have missed multiple games with groin soreness and a nasal fracture, respectively. Backup center Jaxson Hayes also didn’t play in Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In addition, forward Jarred Vanderbilt and guard Gabe Vincent have been out for multiple weeks. Outside of Anthony Davis, Vanderbilt and Vincent may be L.A.’s best defensive players.
But ahead of Saturday’s home contest versus the Houston Rockets, Hayes and Reddish are listed as probable, while Hachimura and even Vanderbilt are noticeably absent from the injury report.
Injury update for tomorrow. Note that neither Rui Hachimura nor Jarred Vanderbilt are on the report, meaning they’re available to play.
This is as healthy as the Lakers have been this season. pic.twitter.com/sI77FbNHz6
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 1, 2023
If the Lakers don’t have any new injuries, they should be able to continue building chemistry after last winter’s trades that remade their supporting cast. They’re currently 11-9, which puts them in seventh place in the Western Conference, but they’re only two games out of third place, which is held by the Thunder.