Early this season, Jarred Vanderbilt was on the outside looking in at playing time. Given his offensive limitations, head coach JJ Redick decided it was best to play others ahead of him.
But after the Lakers
lost three of their first five games in December, Redick gave Vando another look and he took advantage of the opportunity. Not only did his defense shine, but he suddenly became a knockdown shooter.
During December, Vando went 10-19 from 3-point range. And while January has just started for the Lakers, his great 3-point shooting seems to be carrying over into the new year. Against the Grizzlies, Vando hit a huge fourth-quarter 3-pointer.
After the win, LeBron James discussed why Vanderbilt has to play on this team.
“I mean, obviously, we need his athleticism,” LeBron said. “We need the way he can guard multiple positions, so it’s very key that he’s back in the lineup and we love that. But we also need him to knock down a corner shot occasionally. The teams are not going to guard him and they kind of disrespect him over there, not even contesting the shots.
“He’s put a lot of work in every day at practice just shooting that same shot. Luka attracts so much attention. They’re either put a five on him or a roaming four, but he’s not hesitating. He’s just shooting it no matter if he missed one or missed two in a row. He’s just shooting the next one. That was a big time three.”
LeBron vouching for him like this all but guarantees Vando will keep playing. While Luka might be the new star, LeBron is one of this team’s leaders. If James is saying the Lakers need Vando in the lineup, then it’s very likely he’ll remain in the rotation.
With Vando, the challenge was always whether his positive defensive play justifies what you lose from him offensively.
However, if he can just score when wide-open, then the answer becomes a loud yes. Vando might not be the perfect solution to every problem this team has, but he can help them win games.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
