The Los Angeles Lakers will enter training camp this season relatively healthy. Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said forward Rui Hachimura and guards Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino have all been medically cleared to start training camp.
Pelinka announced the news during his Wednesday press conference, and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared it via Twitter/X.
Rob Pelinka says Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino are all medically cleared for the start of training camp.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 25, 2024
Hachimura was healthy for most of last season and played a crucial part in the team’s season. However, in early August, during the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hachimura suffered a calf injury while playing for his home country, Japan. In that game, Hachimura played 29 minutes in the loss to France, scoring a game-high 24 points.
That was the last we saw of Hachimura in the Olympics, but all signs point to the forward being ready for his seventh NBA season.
Pelinka also said Vincent and Hood-Schifino will be good to go. Vincent’s first season with the Lakers last season was a lost one.
Vincent only played in 11 regular season games due to a lingering knee issue. He was supposed to play a vital role with the Lakers, but instead, he was watching from the sidelines for the majority of it.
The former UC Santa Barbara guard averaged 3.1 points, 1.9 assists, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 20.6 percent from the field and 10.7 percent from deep. He averaged 19.8 minutes per game. Vincent signed a three-year, $33 million contract during 2023 free agency.
Vincent spent the first four years of his career with the Miami Heat and played a key role off the bench. He hit many big-time shots for the Heat and provided solid defense for his position. He has not shown that with the Lakers, but the hope is that everything will change this upcoming season.
As for Hood-Schifino, it was an injury-riddled season for the rookie from Indiana. Hood-Schifino not only struggled with his play, but his season was cut short due to a back injury. He underwent lumbar microdiscectomy surgery in March to repair a bulging disc in his back.
He missed the entire 2024 Las Vegas Summer League but now appears healthy for the purple and gold. The Lakers drafted the 21-year-old with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Pennsylvania native played poorly on the court, but if given a chance, he’ll hopefully be not only healthy but productive for L.A.
