Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, notably undergoing surgery on both of his feet last offseason. In the season before, Vanderbilt only suited up in a handful of games due to the feet problems.
The Lakers finally got a hold of it with the double surgery though, and Vanderbilt was able to make his 2024-25 season debut on Jan. 25. In total, he only suited up in 36 games and did not have much of a chance to play himself into game shape before the postseason.
The thing about his surgery was that he could not work on his game or stay in NBA shape as he recovered. But, there is no denying that he brings a ton of energy on the defensive end and he showed that immediately when he returned.
However, defense is not a concern for Vanderbilt as he possesses the height and size to guard a multitude of positions. Offense is the issue, as he is not a strong finisher at the rim and does not do well trying to finish plays through contact. That’s in addition to not being a capable floor spacer as a career 28.8% from 3-point range, and he has yet to show strides from deep in his seven-year career.
Those offensive shortcomings made it hard for head coach JJ Redick to play Vanderbilt more than 20 minutes a night as he only averaged 16 minutes a contest. The most important thing though was the 26-year-old ended the season healthy, finally giving himself an offseason to work on his game.
2024-25 Highlight
Towards the latter stages of the regular season last year, the Lakers faced quality opponents as they looked to solidify their playoff position. An example of that is a two-game mini-series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
L.A. dominated in the first game and were in a highly competitive rematch leading up to Luka Doncic’s ejection. Vanderbilt put together a solid stat line of eight points and 12 rebounds against a tall Oklahoma City team, showing he can hang with the best team in the West.
2025-26 Outlook
While an early postseason exit is never ideal, it gave the Lakers a longer offseason for players to recover and work on their games. That’s especially the case for Vanderbilt, as he entered this summer healthy and did not have to worry about recovering from an injury for once.
Hopefully, he can hit the ground running in training camp and display what he has been working on to become a rotation player for JJ Redick’s team, which will need quality perimeter defenders.
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