Trust is a hard thing to earn, and something that is very easy to lose. Maybe it is just one game, but there was one big change to the rotation from the Los Angeles Lakers' dominant128-104 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday that stood out immediately. JJ Redick swapped which forward was playing in the frontcourt.
Jarred Vanderbilt has been a regular fixture in the Lakers rotation since his demotion earlier in the season. The two-way forward has even served as a small ball five for a team that has increasingly experimented with center-less lineups. Vando did not leave the bench against the Kings.
Vanderbilt collected a DNP from Redick in the matchup despite the Lakers coach opening up his rotation. The second-year bench boss has typically favored a nine-man rotation in 2025-26. Despite Redick featuring 10 throughout the important parts of the night, it was Maxi Kleber who saw prominent minutes.
Was this a short-term move, or a signal of a long-term approach? If the last time this happened is any indication, Kleber might just get the go-to guy in that spot moving forward.
Lakers may have just revealed who they trust more between Kleber and Vanderbilt
When Vanderbilt found himself glued to the bench earlier in the campaign, Redick cited a desire to see his player improve areas of his game for extended opportunity. Vando has always been a reliable defender so the natural assumption was the fix needing to come offensively.
After being elevated off the bench, Vanderbilt averaged 18.8 minutes per game in the next 35 appearances for the Lakers. The offense had improved, but not by any massive leap. Perhaps that is why Redick is electing to reattach his forward to the cushions on the sidelines.
It is a touch odd considering Kleber is not exactly an offensive juggernaut either. Similarly to Vanderbilt, his value comes from his consistent effort on the defensive end of the basketball court and otherwise.
Kleber did have a perfect shooting night on Sunday, though. The Lakers veteran scored six points, shooting 3-of-3 from the field. That included getting his teammates fired up with some slam action at the rim.
"Every time I do something, you look to the bench, everybody's celebrating," Kleber said. "So obviously it's good push for me, good push for the team.”
Kleber's offensive impact has shrunk over the years as the German big man has pushed into his mid-30s. His 9.9 points per 100 possessions (second lowest mark of his career) are a good indicator of that. Even so, perhaps Redick believe there is just more reliability to be found here.
If that is the case, Vanderbilt might just find himself in the doghouse yet again. The rotations over the next few games should be pretty telling of what Redick intends to do in the short-term future.