The Los Angeles Lakers had effectively removed Jarred Vanderbilt from the regular rotation in recent weeks. Head coach JJ Redick made the choice in spite of what Vanderbilt brings defensively, as his offensive limitations were simply too much to overcome.
But Redick brought Vanderbilt back into the mix against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
The Suns represented a perfect matchup opportunity for Vanderbilt. Phoenix bested L.A. in their last meeting by overwhelming them with speed, athleticism and aggression. Redick responded by unleashing Vanderbilt, who brings many of the same attributes. And he responded with his best game of the season, scoring seven points on 2-of-5 shooting with seven rebounds in 15 minutes.
Vanderbilt was instrumental in the 24-0 run that put L.A. on top and gave them wiggle room when Phoenix ultimately pushed back to take a late lead. The Lakers likely don’t win this game without Vanderbilt. And his contributions came from knowing he would get another opportunity to play and not wasting it, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:
“It’s a long season. It’s still early, so I know whether guys getting injured or something like that, the opportunity (was) gonna come back around,” Vanderbilt said. “And the biggest thing is being ready for it mentally. And obviously doing your part on the court and, showing up to practice and being a good teammate and stuff like that, but yeah, my main thing was just staying ready. ‘Cause I knew eventually, at some point, opportunity was gonna come and I wanted to be ready for it.”
Vanderbilt is not going to be utilized like this in every matchup. There are games where he won’t be needed, or his limitations will outweigh his best attributes. But against a scrappy team like Phoenix, Vanderbilt showed exactly why he’s been a valuable piece in the past and why the Lakers wanted him back in 2023.
Hopefully, this game means more opportunity for the perimeter defender and more chances to show what the Lakers need more of as they make potential trade deadline assessments.
Lakers looking for young 3-and-D players
The Lakers are 18-7, right in the mix of the Western Conference playoff mix. That’s better than most anyone thought they would be 25 games into the season. However, it is clear both watching the games and diving into the numbers that the Lakers are far from a finished product.
Their 1.5 net rating ranks 14th in the NBA and would be seventh in the Western Conference, and that is in large part due to their 20th-ranked defense. Building a contender around three below average defenders — Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James — is usually not a sustainable method.
That’s why the team must be on the lookout for ways they can improve the roster. Reportedly, they have a very specific archetype that they would like to acquire this season.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
