Mike Bresnahan, analyst at Los Angeles Lakers for Spectrum SportsNet, said in a recent episode of the podcast that the Lakers forward Jared Vanderbilt maybe he’s not ready for the start of training camp. Vanderbilt suffered a foot injury that limited him to just 29 games during the regular season and averaged 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in his second season as a Laker.
The 25-year-old played his last game of 2023-24 in the Lakers’ victory over the Boston Celtics on February 1. Los Angeles managed to win the game by nine points despite the fact that the team was without Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Vanderbilt contributed heavily in the win with 10 points (3 of 7 from the field and 2 of 3 from 3-point range) and was a huge defensive presence with three steals.
Vanderbilt is used as a power forward by the Lakers, but has the ability to defend players outside of his position, and Los Angeles could use his defensive skills in its series against the Denver Nuggets in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Vanderbilt’s presence will be sorely missed. , especially on defense: if he can avoid the injury bug during the 2024-25 season, it will be a big plus for Los Angeles.