Lakers’ Roster Upgrade: Jarred Vanderbilt Returns and Lifts Team over Warriors
Lakers’ Coach JJ Redick and LeBron James Discuss the Importance of Margin
Nearly a week ago, Lakers coach JJ Redick and LeBron James spoke about the margins of the game, the things that help provide cushion and cover for a team when it’s not perfect. Both said, internally, there weren’t great options for the Lakers to extend those margins.
Jarred Vanderbilt’s Impact
In some ways, only a massive roster reconstruction would fix the problem. James will always be 40. Anthony Davis will always have his issues in transition defense because of the way he crashes toward the hoop. The Lakers will always lose the mathematical battle because of their lower volume of three-point attempts. But on Saturday, one player showed in his first 12 minutes of the season the ways he could provide the Lakers with a little more room for error.
Vanderbilt’s Return
Jarred Vanderbilt, out since Feb. 1 because of foot injuries, checked in during the second quarter of the Lakers’ 118-108 win over the Golden State Warriors and immediately made an impact, providing the Lakers with a much-needed boost only his unique skill set can provide.
"Vando was awesome," Redick said. "Did all the things that we need him to do."
Vanderbilt’s only bucket came on an offensive rebound, but he had three steals and four rebounds, extending possessions on the offensive end and closing them out on the defensive side.
Vanderbilt’s Goals
"I knew I might be a little rusty coming in and as far as rhythm and knowing the plays and all that stuff," Vanderbilt said. "So my main goal was just to go in there and play hard. Bring the energy and then everything else — just control the controllable and everything else will play its hand."
James’ Praise
"It looked like he didn’t miss a beat," James said. "I mean, he’s flying around. What he does don’t even always show up in the box score."
Vanderbilt’s Contributions
Vanderbilt’s contributions proved valuable for a Lakers team that was forced to make starter Rui Hachimura a late scratch because of a calf injury.
Warriors’ Struggles
Max Christie and Gabe Vincent, two other players tasked with helping the Lakers with the little things, defended Stephen Curry wonderfully, limiting the Warriors star to 13 points on four-for-17 shooting, missing all eight of his second-half attempts.
Lakers’ Strong Performance
Davis dominated Golden State’s depleted frontcourt, which was missing Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green, for 36 points and 13 rebounds. James had 25 and 12 assists and Austin Reaves had 16 points and seven assists.
Team Effort
"The last two games, our three best players have played really well and everyone else has starred in their roles," Redick said. "And that’s what a great team is; (it) is guys starring in their roles. And so for Vando, him starring his role, Gabe starring his role, Max Christie starring his role, Jaxson Hayes starring his role, all those guys. … That creates a margin for us to become a great team."
Looking Ahead
The Lakers continue their Grammy trip Monday in Charlotte.
"We have to be ready to play every single game, regardless of who we’re playing," Reaves said. "We need to go in to every game playing to continue to get better. And we can’t take our foot off the gas. We gotta do that every single game and hopefully we have a good trip."
Conclusion
The return of Jarred Vanderbilt has provided a much-needed boost for the Lakers, and it’s clear that his unique skill set will be a valuable asset for the team moving forward.
FAQs
- When did Jarred Vanderbilt return to the Lakers?
- He returned on Saturday.
- What was Vanderbilt’s impact on the game?
- He had three steals and four rebounds, extending possessions on the offensive end and closing them out on the defensive side.
- How did the Lakers’ other players perform?
- Davis dominated Golden State’s depleted frontcourt for 36 points and 13 rebounds, while James had 25 and 12 assists, and Reaves had 16 points and seven assists.
