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The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the upcoming season expecting Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James to help carry them towards the NBA Playoffs. But, one under the radar player could make a surprising impact. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt is now fully healthy.
As a result, the 26-year-old could be a key defensive presence for Los Angeles.
“I'm also hearing Jarred Vanderbilt is healthier now than he was at any point last season, which will naturally spark hope that the versatile forward seems like an offseason addition himself when training camp opens in late September,” Stein wrote. “Ditto for Maxi Kleber, who made only one appearance — for five minutes in Game 5 of the Lakers' first-round exit to Minnesota — after he was shipped to Lakerland with Dončić on Feb. 2.”
Vanderbilt had been dealing with foot and knee issues prior to his season debut last January.
Across 36 games last season, Vanderbilt averaged 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. During the 2022-2023 campaign that saw him spend time with both the Utah Jazz and Lakers, he averaged 7.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
When healthy, the Houston native is a stingy defender who can also contribute to a team’s offensive flow with his strong sense of spatial awareness.
The Lakers' offseason has been intriguing thus far. They recently acquired free agent center Deandre Ayton on a two-year deal while also adding guard Marcus Smart and forward Jake LaRavia.
Los Angeles will need James, Doncic, and Reaves to be the driving force behind the team’s success. But, others such as Vanderbilt and Ayton will have to ensure that the team’s defense does not fold against the game’s elite lineups.
Vanderbilt has been attempting to make a return to form, and this upcoming season could see the Lakers forward re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with.
