Lakers' Wood, Vanderbilt hit with injuries

NEW JERSEY – The JJ Redick era in the Los Angeles Lakers started on the wrong foot as two of their big men — Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt — are nursing injuries with the NBA training camp fast approaching.

Wood underwent knee surgery that will sideline him for at least eight weeks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. 

Wood confirmed the devastating setback in a social media post on September 9. 

“I was just feeling like my old self again and was in peak shape,” Wood tweeted. “Minor setback for a major comeback. And to my fans, don’t stop believing in me,” the Lakers reserve center tweeted. 

Damn.. I was just feeling like my old self again and was in peak shape … Minor setback for a Major comeback, and to my fans, don’t stop believing in me ..????????

— 35 (@Chriswood_5) September 9, 2024

Wood’s recurring injury kept him out for the final two months of last season. He underwent an initial arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in March. It is unclear how Wood re-aggravated his knee injury. 

The 28-year-old Wood picked up his $3-million player option to return to the Lakers this season. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in a limited role under the Lakers’ erstwhile coach Darvin Ham, who was fired after they lost to the Denver Nuggets for the second straight year in the postseason. 

Wood last played on played on February 14. 

Redick replaced Ham with the Lakers’ brass hoping the first-time head coach could reverse their fortunes and start meaningful player development to make up for their lack of significant moves to bolster their roster led by stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.  

The Lakers are running it back with only rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, LeBron’s son, as their offseason additions. 

With Redick as the only significant change in the Lakers’ makeup, oddsmakers are not picking them to be among the title favorites. BetUS, one of the top offshore casinos, listed them at +3000, the 11th-best odds with the defending champion and their longtime rivals Boston Celtics as the overwhelming favorites to repeat at +300. 

For his part, Vanderbilt’s availability for the team’s training camp is uncertain, according to Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Bresnahan.

The 6-foot-8 Vanderbilt was limited to 29 games last season due to a lingering foot injury. He suffered a midfoot sprain on February 1 in a Lakers’ road win in Boston without James and Davis. 

Bresnahan said he is not sure if Vanderbilt will be ready for the Lakers’ training camp, which starts on October 1. Vanderbilt is the Lakers’ most versatile defender and played a key role when they reached the Western Conference Finals in 2023. 

The Lakers will open their campaign against last season’s Western Conference finalist Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22. 

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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for the New York-based website Heavy.com.