Coming into the season, one of the more intriguing role players on the Los Angeles Lakers roster was forward Jarred Vanderbilt. The sixth-year forward has established himself as one of the NBA’s premier perimeter defenders and immediately made an impact after being traded to the Lakers at last season’s trade deadline.
After receiving a contract extension during the offseason, Vanderbilt was expected to compete for a starting spot with fellow returnee Rui Hachimura as well as newcomer Taurean Prince. It was Vanderbilt who got the start in the preseason opener, showing off his trademark defense and rebounding while also showing some improved shooting in knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.
But Vanderbilt hasn’t been on the court since that opening preseason contest due to a heel injury and now with the regular season just days away, it looks as it Vanderbilt will remain on the sideline when the first ball goes up.
Darvin Ham announced at practice on Saturday that after being re-evaluated on Friday, Vanderbilt is still considered to be day-to-day and is unlikely to be ready for Tuesday’s season opener against the Denver Nuggets, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
Darvin Ham says Taurean Prince will start on opening night. Calls the start “circumstantial.” Jarred Vanderbilt remains day to day with his heel but Ham says “in all likelihood” Vando will not be available on Tuesday.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 21, 2023
Thankfully it is still a minor injury and one that shouldn’t keep Vanderbilt off the court for much longer, but it is still an unfortunate series of events for the forward who may have had the inside track on landing that final starting spot in the frontcourt.
And what Vanderbilt brings to the table is definitely a need for the team overall. He is that player the Lakers can turn to to defend the opposition’s top player at nearly every position. His energy is infectious and his hustle never stops.
With the depth the Lakers assembled this offseason the coaching staff has other options to turn to in the role, but none who are as effective an on-ball defender as Vanderbilt.
But this is why the Lakers put together the deep roster they have, so they can survive these injuries and remain successful. Either way, Vanderbilt will surely be pushing himself to get back on the court as soon as possible.
Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt discusses what he worked on this offseason
Vanderbilt was hard at work all offseason, spending some time with Lakers assistant Phil Handy as he looked to build off what he did last year. The Lakers forward admitted to trying to improve many facets of his game.
“Being able to shoot the ball, I worked a lot on shooting,” Vanderbilt said. “Finishing, ball handling, just pretty much touching up everything. As well as defensively, getting stronger, getting faster, getting more agile. I feel like each and every summer I try to just get better in every aspect of the game.”
The forward added that he also worked on being more agile defensively and being better able to navigate screens better so he can guard all positions.
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