The Lakers are set to face the Bulls tonight at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. Before the game, JJ Redick addressed various concerns around the team at the press conference.
From the injury situation to player performance, Redick was candid about the ground reality of what is happening with the Lakers currently. He spoke to the media about Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt amid their recent slumps, struggles to find consistency, and how they have bounced back since.
“Starting coming back from the All-Star break; he’s been exemplary in his role,” said Redick on LaRavia. “The things we’re asking him to do, he’s doing them at a high level.”
“I think it was the Denver game and whatever the game before that, which has seemed so long ago, and I told him he was awful. He played terribly in both games, on both ends, and he’s responded like he always does throughout the season.”
A double-digit threat coming off the bench, LaRavia had only two points and one assist against the Nuggets in their recent 113-120 loss in Denver, where he shot 1-6 from the floor (16.7 FG%).
Since then, his performance has improved on both ends of the floor with multiple eight-point nights in the Lakers’ recent three-game win streak.
“He’s played great, he’s a guy we have a lot of confidence in when he gets open catch and shoot threes, we have a lot of confidence when he plays in transition, when he plays on closeouts.”
“When he gets to double digits, which he has done often this season, it’s such a bonus and lift. He’s been great with his physicality, his rebounding, his crashing, his disruption on defence, as the season’s progressed, even his on-ball defense has been getting better, so he’s just been great for us,” concluded Redick on LaRavia.
One key bonus of having a former player coach the team is that he knows the mental pressure and a level of fatigue that sets in through the 82-game regular season, and puts them in a unique position to motivate their players when they’re facing slumps.
Redick’s crude honesty helped LaRavia bounce back and contribute in other areas, if not scoring, to aid their recent three-game winning streak.
So far in the 2025-26 season, LaRavia has averaged 8.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 45.8% from the field. He hasn’t missed a single game this season, proving that sometimes the best ability for the team’s success is availability.
The Lakers’ head coach then moved on to talk about Jarred Vanderbilt’s recent performance.
Jarred Vanderbilt has returned to the Lakers’ rotation after falling out of it recently. Redick was asked to talk about his expectations for the Lakers’ forward as he fights his way back into the minutes rotation.
“We’ve talked all season with him; he’s had some fantastic stretches for us. Being disruptive within our defense, where he gets in trouble sometimes, is with his gambling… that sounds terrible. Sometimes he gets in trouble gambling on defense,” said the Lakers’ head coach with a grin.
“He has the ability, because of his instincts, to be in the correct spot and still be disruptive. To blow up a DHO, to get out and be in a proper shift, and get a deflection. We show him on tape all the time; he has that ability. So just being disruptive within our defense,” Redick further added.
“The thing we really try to emphasize with him is the next action type thing when the ball gets swung to him… that’s a big part of what we want him to do,” Redick explained as he detailed how Vanderbilt can improve his game from here.
Jarred Vanderbilt had consecutive DNPs before the Lakers’ loss to the Nuggets four games ago. But during the Nuggets game, Vanderbilt broke back into the rotation and got over 10 minutes of action in each game since then, which resulted in a three-game win streak for the Lakers.
Vanderbilt has averaged 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 points, and 1.2 assists while shooting 46.1% from the field. These numbers don’t reflect the contributions he brings on the defensive end of the floor.
The Lakers’ role players being consistent is key for the franchise, since, including tonight’s game, we are just 17 games away from the playoffs. The team is 40-25 and will look for its 41st win tonight against the shorthanded Bulls, who will have eight players sidelined for tonight.
It will be interesting to see how these two bench players perform over this stretch of games, as it could determine the minutes they get in the playoffs.
