Jarred Vanderbilt's injury during the Los Angeles Lakers' brutal 108-90 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 looked as painful as it could. After mashing his pinky finger against the backboard, Vanderbilt exited the matchup and never returned. At the time, it felt like it could be the last anyone sees of him in this second-round series.
That may not actually be the case. Despite the initial reports on just how bad the Vanderbilt injury was, JJ Redick sounded pretty optimistic ahead of Game 2. The Lakers head coach told reporters that his athletic forward has not been ruled out for the rest of this series by any means.
"They were able to put his finger back together. He's splinted and he's day-to-day."
Anyone holding their breath on this one can let out a relaxed sigh after that. If Vanderbilt was going to have a part to play in Redick's rotations moving forward, it still sounds like the veteran forward could be available to execute his coach's strategies and gameplan.
Lakers are leaving the door open for Jarred Vanderbilt to keep playing
Day-to-day was a much kinder label than most would have expected here. Perhaps Vanderbilt can be back in the mix as soon as Game 2.
Naturally, the Lakers will want to play it safe with him, as they would with any other player. If there is any serious risk of re-injury, Los Angeles should exercise caution to protect Vanderbilt. If it is something that Vando can overcome, his presence would be well received.
Realistically, Vanderbilt is the ninth man in Redick's rotation. That is far from the most prominent role in that pecking order. Even so, that does not mean it has no value to what the final result would be for any given contest.
Vanderbilt is an energy guy. The Lakers forward brings it to the defensive side of the basketball, the glass, you name it. In a playoff series, any tight game can certainly be swung with just a handful of those going your way. That is huge for a team like Los Angeles, who are the underdogs in this one.
The options for who sees the court as the ninth man beyond Vanderbilt are slim. Bronny James would get some consideration from Redick, given his previous role before Austin Reaves' return. Maxi Kleber would otherwise offer a more experienced alternative to the young guard.
Vanderbilt may be a flawed player, but there is still a lot of good that can come from having him on the floor. The Lakers should be thankful for that option still being there, assuming Redick's assessment of the injury is correct.
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