The Los Angeles Lakers lost their second preseason game in a row on Sunday, Oct. 5, falling to the Golden State Warriors 111-103.
Jarred Vanderbilt impressed once again, showcasing his defensive versatility along with his ability to score across multiple levels. When addressing the media after the game, head coach JJ Redick shared his thoughts on what he’s seeing from the versatile forward to begin the preseason.
“I’ve been very impressed by just the amount of work that he’s done this summer on his game, and obviously, his body is significantly better than this time last year, or even, when the season ended,” Redick said. “You know, he’s moving better, his handle is, I’d never have ever seen him make a euro decel finish, you. know it’s good. He’s been working on his game and this shot is sort of the big thing with him. If he can be a consistent three-point shooter for us, that unlocks a lot.”
Vanderbilt has struggled to remain healthy in recent seasons. However, his performances over the first two preseason games have given the Lakers cause for quiet optimism. His defensive versatility would certainly be a boost for a franchise that ended the 2024-25 regular season ranked 17th in the NBA for defensive rating.
Redick Is Open To Making Rotation Changes
During the same post-game news conference, Redick was asked whether Vanderbilt could potentially earn his way into a starting role on the Lakers roster during the upcoming season. The second-year head coach has remained open to making changes if players on his team earn their opportunities.
“We started 24 lineups last year,” Redick said. “The team that started or the lineup that started the season for us started eight games together, and we made a change, so I’m of course open to things, of course, and like I said, everything’s going to have to be earned.”
Vanderbilt will likely need to string a run of games together before Redick considers inserting him into the starting lineup. After all, his injury history likely means the franchise must be cautious with his workload to begin the new campaign.
Vanderbilt Was Also Lakers’ “Bright Spot” vs. Suns
Vanderbilt’s performance against the Warriors was his second impressive showing of the preseason. When speaking to the media following the Lakers ‘ 103-81 blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns , Redick pinpointed the versatile defender as the team’s “bright spot.”
“I thought Vando played extremely hard and was very disruptive,” Redick said. “…He was a bright spot tonight. I thought his physicality, disruption defensively was good. As he builds his conditioning, I expect him to be an elite offensive rebounder for us this year. He’s really worked on his shot, I know it didn’t show tonight. But he’s worked on his shot and he’s getting more and more comfortable shooting spot-up 3s. So I expect him to be an impact player for us.”
Vanderbilt has started the preseason with a bang. However, the test will be how he continues to develop and the impact he can make once the games start to count. Nevertheless, his production so far has been encouraging.
If he can continue to showcase his value to the rotation, he could be in for a major bounce-back season. And that would be good news for the Lakers .
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