Jarred Vanderbilt was a fan favorite for the Los Angeles Lakers after being acquired at the 2023 trade deadline due to his high motor and willingness to do the dirty work. Before his arrival, L.A. did not have a player like Vanderbilt, so it was a breath of fresh air.
However, injuries have plagued the forward lately, as he has not suited up since Feb. 1, 2024. With his return looming on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, Vanderbilt could become another defensive enforcer for L.A. next to Dorian Finney-Smith.
The Lakers traded for Finney-Smith to fill Vanderbilt’s absence, but the latter’s long-anticipated return is finally here. When asked what L.A. misses most about the former Kentucky Wildcat, Austin Reaves pointed out his willingness to do the little things.
“I just miss him running around playing as hard as he possibly can every possession,” Reaves said of Vanderbilt after Friday’s win over the Boston Celtics. “That brings good, positive energy to the group. He don’t care about scoring, he don’t care about rebounds, assists, anything that you’re gonna see on the statsheet. He cares about winning basketball games and helping the team any way that he can help. Anytime that you have a guy like that sidelined with injury for any period of time but as long as he has, it will be a good boost of energy when we get him back. Can’t wait for him to be back out there.”
These past two seasons have featured an inconsistent identity defensively and head coach JJ Redick is trying to iron out those issues. By having Vanderbilt and Finney-Smith at his disposal, it can help alleviate two-way responsibilities for Reaves, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.
In addition, the Lakers struggle against teams who have size and athleticism on the wings. So, now having those two players presents a bit of resistance to opponents who try to take advantage of L.A.’s lack of size.
However, it is worth considering that Vanderbilt took about a month to get back into shape last season when he returned from a heel injury. This means that Redick could ease the 25-year-old back into things as the team needs him healthy down the stretch of this season.
Jarred Vanderbilt excited to return to Lakers lineup; describes long rehab process
This year-long process must have been a challenging one for Jarred Vanderbilt, but there finally is light at the end of the tunnel. Leading up to his season debut, Vanderbilt discussed his excitement returning to the lineup plus providing insight on his long rehab process.
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