The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night, and Jarred Vanderbilt was the only player who didn’t leave the bench in the blowout win. Fans quickly fell in love with his energy and defense after the 2023 trade. The current Lakers desperately need defense, but his offensive woes make it tough on head coach JJ Redick. After playing in 35 straight, Vando was glued to the bench in this win.
Rui Hachimura returned after a two-game absence and put the Lakers in a crunch. Redick opted to use Maxi Kleber, Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, and Hachimura off the bench in this one. It left no room for Vanderbilt. Los Angeles dominated every second on Sunday night, and Redick sang Kleber’s praises postgame.
It appears Vando is out of the rotation again for the Lakers. He played in just one of ten games from mid-November to December 10th. LA has one too many rotation pieces, and Redick likes Kleber’s shooting over Vanderbilt's defense when everyone is healthy.
Jarred Vanderbilt slips out of Lakers' rotation with everyone healthy
The Lakers played 14 men in the win over the Kings. Redick opted for the youngsters in the fourth quarter, which left Vando as the only active player who did not get on the floor. Bronny James, Adou Theiro, Kobe Bufkin, and Dalton Knecht all played four minutes against the Kings.
The Lakers were 18-17 over the 35 straight games where Vanderbilt played. He averaged 4.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 18.8 minutes per contest over that stretch. Vando shot just 31.8 percent from 3-point range, and several teams were not guarding him. The lack of offense can be problematic, especially when the Lakers have to win shootouts with this roster.
Luka Doncic was caught laughing at Russell Westbrook multiple times in Sunday’s win. The purple and gold dominated from the jump and certainly did not miss Vanderbilt. Fans think Vando should be in the rotation, but coach Redick clearly thinks otherwise.
The Lakers want shooters around Luka Doncic. It is why they traded for Luke Kennard and are using Kleber over Vanderbilt. Number 77 led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024 with shooting and defense flanking him. Los Angeles got two straight blowouts by making shots. It is that simple, and axing Vando helps mitigate the Lakers' shooting woes.
The Los Angeles Lakers cut Jarred Vanderbilt from their rotation in Sunday’s dominant win over the Kings. LA shot 50 percent from the field and 45 percent on their threes. That likely would not have happened with Vando in the rotation. The Lakers are using LeBron more on his own, which makes it even harder to play a second non-shooter. Redick axed Vanderbilt, and it certainly worked.
Fans shouldn’t expect to see the 6’8 forward back in the rotation on Tuesday night against the Pelicans. If the Lakers are healthy, Vando appears to be glued to the bench. He will have to wait for a spot to open up and make the most of it when it does.