4. Jarred Vanderbilt
The Los Angeles Lakers sorely missed Jarred Vanderbilt during the 2023-24 regular season. Vanderbilt signed a four-year, $48 million extension with the Lakers in 2023, and the reason was simple: Outside of Anthony Davis, there may not be a better defensive player on the roster.
Assuming Vanderbilt can stay healthy in 2024-25, he could be the ultimate X factor for the Lakers—and not exclusively on the defensive end of the floor.
Vanderbilt, whose extension kicks in this coming season, appeared in just 29 games due to injuries in 2023-24. It's hardly a coincidence that the Lakers struggled to complement an All-Defense campaign from Davis with any semblance of consistent help on that end of the floor.
Vanderbilt proved in 2022-23 that he and Davis could form a potent defensive duo, however, and there's little reason to believe that won't carry into 2024-25.
In 2023-24, the Lakers ranked in the 84th percentile in net rating and the 70th percentile in defensive rating during the 731 possessions that Davis and Vanderbilt played together. That alone shows how much better Los Angeles is when Vanderbilt is healthy—and how much better he and the team can be in 2024-25.
Throw in Vanderbilt's career average of 3.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes and the Lakers ranking dead last in offensive rebounds in 2023-24, and his importance is undeniable.
A healthy Vanderbilt should be a breath of fresh air for this season's Lakers crew.