The Los Angeles Lakers brought Jarred Vanderbilt back into the rotation with Austin Reaves out, and the 6’8 forward brought the defense, energy, and athleticism the franchise has lacked. LA went to Phoenix and defeated the Suns 116-114. It was a dominant defensive performance until the Lakers took their foot off the gas late. It was just one game after the issues on D piled up in their loss to the Spurs.
Credit goes to Vando for this win. He struggles on offense, but provides what LA desperately needs. They lack perimeter defense and athleticism. The Suns took advantage of those flaws to dominate the Lakers on Dec. 1. They needed a spark after dropping two of their last three, and Vando provided it.
The veteran had seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block in 15 minutes of action in a tense game against the Suns. Los Angeles outscored Phoenix by seven in Vanderbilt’s minutes, and does not win without his contributions. He certainly made head coach JJ Redick have second thoughts about his benching.
Jarred Vanderbilt makes JJ Redick regret benching him
The Lakers were 10-4 to start the season with LeBron James out. Vando was in the nightly rotation and made an impact. Defense quickly became a problem with Vanderbilt glued to the bench after LeBron's return.
Los Angeles has a rotation crunch at the forward spots with LeBron, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and Vanderbilt all wanting significant minutes. Someone is the odd man out with everyone healthy.
Marcus Smart made a massive impact against the Spurs and proved the Lakers need defenders in the lineup. They are going to score with Luka, LeBron, and Reaves running the show. It is about getting stops and maximizing their production on both ends of the floor.
Vanderbilt’s lack of shooting will continue to be a problem, but he has to be in the rotation when the 6’8 forward is creating turnovers, rebounding, and providing the Lakers with energy.
They allowed 36 points in the first quarter on Sunday night and shut the Suns’ water off in the next two quarters. Things got wild in the fourth with Vanderbilt again on the bench. Luckily, the Lakers did just enough to hold on for the win.
Vando is exactly the type of player LA needs. He can defend any player on the floor and slow down penetration. Teams like the Suns and Spurs are matchups where Redick must use Vanderbilt. There are some teams where his impact is a must. Those are teams using speed and pressure to change the game. Vando proved what he can do against Phoenix on Sunday night.
The 26-year-old should get minutes on Thursday in Utah and deserves to be part of the rotation moving forward. LA needs defenders on the floor. Their three stars all struggle on defense at this stage in their careers. That makes Smart and Vanderbilt more important. Coach Redick must realize that.
The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a needed win over the Suns to quiet the noise about their struggles. Jarred Vanderbilt gives them a needed answer, but the front office should be looking for upgrades. They need a 3-and-D wing to improve their title chances. Until they make a move, the Lakers will be relying on Vanderbilt for that needed defensive impact off the bench.