Jarred Vanderbilt's Injury Makes LA's Depth Problem vs. the Thunder Worse

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers · May 6, 2026 · 16m

The Lakers already had a depth problem in their matchup against the Thunder, something that was very clear in Tuesday's Game 1 loss. Oklahoma City has far more players they can deploy confidently over the course of a game, with a deeper variety of skill sets to choose from. And now things get a little worse for LA, as Jarred Vanderbilt is expected to miss time after suffering a dislocated pinkie finger on his right hand. He had it wrapped up on Wednesday after reportedly receiving stitches, since the bone pierced the skin post-dislocation.

Ewwww.

Assuming Vando can't play, the Lakers lose…