Christian Wood Injury Report: Lakers Star Return Pushed Further With Knee Surgery 12 Games Before Playoffs

The LA Lakers face a massive setback ahead of the postseason. The backup center Christian Wood, who has been out since February 14 with a knee injury, may not return to the court this regular season. Injuries have plagued the LA side throughout the season and continue to affect. Following Gabe Vincent’s long injury, Wood has also joined him on the list.

Ahead of the Lakers’ clash against the Atlanta Hawks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a crucial surgery update. According to the veteran reporter, Wood will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and he will remain on the bench for several weeks. Notably, the LA side has only 12 games left in the regular season. The star center could miss all of it.

Christian Wood had already expressed his disappointment regarding his usage in the lineup. With Anthony Davis on the starting line-up, it had been a hard ‘no’ for the 28-year-old. In this season, the star averaged 6.9 points in his 17.4-minute stay per game, playing off the bench. On the other hand, he had to compete against young centers like Jaxson Hayes.

Hayes has played a crucial role as the backup in the absence of Wood in the last few weeks. Especially in the last outing against the Golden State Warriors, after the early exit of AD with an eye injury, Hayes produced a decent effort near the rim.

Nevertheless, Wood’s delay in return would make the Lakers very thin near the rim. Until then, the Purple and Gold side have to make sure of their spot in the postseason. Currently, they are in the 10th seed behind the Warriors and will require consecutive wins to take the team to the 6th seed. At the same time, the Lakers have two players on the move to return from injury.

Will the Lakers have a fully healthy roster before playoffs?

Speaking to the press ahead of tonight’s game, coach Darvin Ham dropped an important injury update. Apart from Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent have also been out for a long time. Ham said, “According to plan… It will be a welcomed addition to get those guys healthy.”

The latest update hinted at a positive sign of the Lakers’ health ahead of the postseason. Even though the Lakers are in the 10th seed, they become lethal when it comes to the postseason. LeBron James‘ experience and the size advantage of the side will play a major role.

What do you make of Christian Wood’s surgery update? Let us know in the comments.

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