Jarred Vanderbilt has been out with a foot injury which he picked up in February, and got surgery on in May of this year. While he was expected to return this month, that timeline might have been extended. Dave McMenamin reported that Vanderbilt’s ramp-up has been going slower than expected. However, he hasn’t suffered any setbacks yet, and the Lakers are closely and carefully monitoring his situation.
“Jarred Vanderbilt’s ramp-up after offseason foot procedures in May has gone slower than the Lakers anticipated, per the team. There have been no setbacks, however. He will be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks, per the team.”
Vanderbilt is one of the many players in the NBA that entered the season nursing an injury. The Lakers have missed his strong presence on defense, as he is their best perimeter defender, and the second-best overall defender on the team behind Anthony Davis.
Last season, Vanderbilt was in and out of the starting lineup, as head coach Darvin Ham wasn’t able to settle on a starting five months into the campaign. Eventually, he would pick up an injury in February that would keep him out for the remainder of the season.
His return is highly anticipated, especially considering he hasn’t played under the new coaching regime of JJ Redick. A strong defender that follows set plays well, Vanderbilt would be a powerful tool for Redick this season, as he slowly grows into the head coaching role.
JJ Redick Created Defensive Plan Catered To Vanderbilt
While speaking before the NBA season, JJ Redick revealed that he had been working on several defensive schemes, all of which were catered to Jarred Vanderbilt’s strengths. One can imagine he will implement them the moment Vanderbilt is fit and at his best.
Vanderbilt is an incredibly strong defender, and proved his value during the Lakers’ Western Conference Finals run two seasons ago. And last season, he showed great improvement on the defensive end, averaging a defensive rating of 112.3.
Considering that score came under the disorganized defense of Darvin Ham, one has to imagine he will have a much better score under the meticulously Xs-and-Os-focused coaching of JJ Redick. And his presence will greatly bolster a Lakers team that has started the season well.
The Lakers are currently 9-4 and the third seed in the Western Conference. The entire team has been performing well, bolstering an offensive rating of 118.1, the fourth-best in the entire league. But their defense leaves a lot to be desired, with a defensive rating of 117.0, which is the sixth-worst in the league.
Adding a defender like Vanderbilt to the team should help bolster that defensive score a lot better. It would also give the Lakers breathing room in games, as they won’t have to win all their games in the fourth quarter if they mitigate the opposition’s scoring early in the game.
Stay tuned to Fadeaway World for the latest updates on Jarred Vanderbilt’s injuries, Lakers news, instant post-game analyses, and all things NBA.
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