Jarred Vanderbilt has found his way back into the Los Angeles Lakers rotation. He was a DNP coach’s decision for nine out of 10 games between Nov. 18 and Dec. 10 before playing once again in the team’s win over the Phoenix Suns last week. He has played at least 15 minutes in each of L.A.’s last three games.
One of the ways Vanderbilt has been able to do that is by being a burst of energy in a Lakers rotation that lacked athleticism and speed. It was also lacking in effort, which showed up greatly in the rebounding column. Vanderbilt has grabbed 23 rebounds — 13 of them on the offensive end — in the last three games.
Those extra possessions helped the Lakers win games against the Suns and Utah Jazz, and it’s something the forward is focusing on as he makes his mark back on the rotation. He spoke about offensive rebounding and why he is putting extra focus there, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“Oh, for sure. That’s something I can bring to the table every single night. Especially some games where we’re not shooting well, there’s a lot more opportunities for offensive rebounds. We’re trying to win that possession battle, so like I said, if we’re not having a great shooting night, having multiple efforts and being able to get multiple opportunities on the glass, it’s going to better our chances.”
Starring in your role as a player means, sometimes, filling in the gap of what the team needs. Vanderbilt saw that this team needed someone who would play with energy and quickness, attacking the glass and being a pest on the perimeter, and that is what he’s followed through with doing.
This should earn him a decent chance to show his value to L.A., especially as they continue to deal with injuries at the top of the rotation.
The Lakers play the Suns again on Tuesday, a perfect matchup for Vanderbilt and one where he can truly do what he does best.
LeBron James: Lakers need to be ready missing key players
The Lakers were without three starters on Saturday night against the L.A. Clippers in Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura. Luka Doncic was then ruled out at halftime of that game, leaving the Lakers incredibly shorthanded.
They ultimately lost despite a strong effort from the bench, in a game where they couldn’t make any of their shots.
Some of these players are likely to be back shortly, though there is not a ton of clarity on Doncic.
In the meantime though, James stressed the need for others to step up in their absence and credited everyone for their effort against the Clippers.
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