Lakers' Anthony Davis reacts to Jarred Vanderbilt's first game in a year
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On Saturday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers continued their winning ways with a relatively easy road win over the Golden State Warriors in a nationally televised contest. The win gave the Lakers a 2-0 edge in their season series vs the Warriors this year and also marked the return of Jarred Vanderbilt to the rotation after a nearly year-long absence.
Vanderbilt may not have put up eye-popping statistics in this one, but his presence was clearly felt especially on the defensive side of the ball, and after the game, Anthony Davis spoke on the new dimensions that the big man provides to the Lakers, per Spectrum SportsNet on X.
“We can go deep into our bench,” said Davis. “Obviously Vando’s on a minutes restriction, but the time he was on the floor, he was phenomenal. He looked great… it definitely helps us with guys not having to play a ton of minutes. We can get some rest and kind of be fresh from game to game.”
How much does Jarred Vanderbilt help?
While it may seem like ancient history now, Jarred Vanderbilt had some big moments during the Lakers’ 2023 trip to the Western Conference Finals, with his wingspan giving Los Angeles a versatile defender to help overwhelm overmatched opponents like the Memphis Grizzlies and the Warriors.
Vanderbilt’s offensive game remains limited at best, which puts a clear ceiling on just how much JJ Redick will be able to use him, especially against certain opponents depending on the matchup.
However, Los Angeles is certainly glad to have arguably its second best defender back in the lineup after not appearing since February 1st of last year in a shocking road win vs the Boston Celtics.
The Lakers now sit with an impressive record of 25-18, good for fifth place in the vaunted Western Conference playoff picture. If the playoffs were to start today, the Lakers would unfortunately be matched up with the Denver Nuggets, who sent them home in each of the last two postseasons; however, there is still almost an entire half season to get out of that potential matchup.
It remains to be seen whether Vanderbilt’s return will influence how aggressive the Lakers are at the upcoming trade deadline.
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