Why Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt Is Vital to LA's Success vs. Nuggets Amid Injury Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without starting power forward Jarred Vanderbilt as he nurses heel soreness, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, but concern that he may miss the season opener against the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets is nonexistent.

The Lakers, swept by Denver in the Western Conference Finals this past summer, could not have received better news.

Not because Vanderbilt is a player who will light up the stat line or take over games the way LeBron James, Anthony Davis, or even Austin Reaves will. He is an efficient shooter, knocking down 52.9 percent from the floor, but recorded only 7.2 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

He was good, but mostly a great complimentary piece to the stars on the team.

The news is good for the Lakers because the team needs to be able to count on a consistent starting lineup early in the upcoming season.

A year ago, James missed 27 games due to injury while Davis missed 26. It hurt the team and its ability to field a consistent starting lineup, something that probably cost them victories and a higher seed in the playoffs.

Once healthy, the team gelled and advanced all the way to the conference finals. After a flurry of offseason moves that included an extension for Vanderbilt, a new deal for Reaves, and the additions of Taurean Prince, Christian Wood, and Gabe Vincent, there are lofty expectations in the City of Angels.

Vanderbilt is a starter for the team and needs every rep he can get with James, Davis, Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell. He needs to develop the chemistry that was iffy a season ago and be able to establish his place in the lineup.

If he does not due to injury, there is a player in Wood on the bench, ready to jump into the starting lineup the minute Davis decides he would rather assume Vanderbilt's place at power forward and let the former Houston Rocket take over the center job. There is also Rui Hachimura, who was very good for the team a season ago.

The Lakers likely do not want either of those scenarios to play out, though. There is a reason they penciled Vanderbilt in as a starter. They expect him to take the next step, be the guy at the power forward position, and deliver the Lakers their first title in three years.

Against the Nuggets, he will be tasked with guarding Aaron Gordon and helping to slow what was a dominant, unstoppable Nuggets offense in the postseason. He has gotten the reps in practice prior to the injury and is the guy the team trusts most to accomplish that goal.

Without him, the Lakers could find themselves staring at a 0-1 start, with questions about the lineup, and potential reshuffling of the roster.

Not at all how they envisioned starting a season with so much promise.

Luckily, according to McMenamin's report, that is not likely to be an issue.