The Los Angeles Lakers spent months wondering what a healthy rotation would be able to produce. A blockbuster trade blew up any hope of figuring out what could've been, and recent injuries sustained by Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves have come at a brutal time, but answers appear to be rolling in, nonetheless.
Los Angeles has managed to circumvent adversity up to this point in the season, and the emergence of a healthy Jarred Vanderbilt suggests they could sustain this winning form.
Vanderbilt has appeared in just 15 of the Lakers' 59 games this season, which is a significant reason uncertainty followed the purple and gold. He'd previously established himself as a wing-stopper who has the tools to justify the four-year, $48 million contract extension he signed in 2023.
Having appeared in just 44 of Los Angeles' past 141 regular season games, however, Vanderbilt still has something to prove.
Thankfully, the veteran forward has begun to rediscover his form at a time when the Lakers need him most. With Hachimura out and Dorian Finney-Smith moved to the starting lineup, Los Angeles' need for depth at forward has called on Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht to step up.
Knecht is justifiably stealing headlines after scoring 19 points during the Lakers' most recent win, but Vanderbilt deserves just as much praise.
Jarred Vanderbilt reminded Lakers of why they paid him $48 million
Vanderbilt entered March struggling to find the type of consistency the Lakers needed from him. There were flashes of brilliance on the defensive end of the floor, but patience was always going to be necessary, considering he made his season debut on Jan. 25.
On Sunday, Mar. 2, Vanderbilt turned in his best performance of the 2024-25 regular season as the Lakers defeated the LA Clippers 108-102.
Vanderbilt played 22 minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds, five offensive boards, one assist, and two steals. The Lakers outscored the Clippers by 10 points when he was on the court, and his defense was only part of the reason.
Vanderbilt pulled down five of the team's 11 offensive rebounds, and scored six of his eight points during the second half—when Los Angeles mustered just 52 points as a team.
It was the perfect display of what Vanderbilt is capable of providing on a nightly basis. His defensive proficiency is well-documented, with the pairing of he and Dorian Finney-Smith projecting to be an elite duo on that end of the floor at forward.
Vanderbilt quietly boasts career averages of 2.0 offensive rebounds per game and 3.6 per 36 minutes, however, which may be equal in its importance.
On a per-game basis, Los Angeles ranks No. 26 in the NBA in second-chance points and No. 27 in offensive rebounds. Losing Anthony Davis in the Luka Doncic trade did it no favors in those areas, which is why the purple and gold need a healthy Vanderbilt to live up to his potential.
Thankfully, in a short-handed game against the Clippers, Vanderbilt proved he's close to returning to the level the Lakers need him to play at.