JJ Redick foreshadowed a night like Wednesday evening.
Throughout preseason and the regular season, he stressed that every player on the Lakers’ roster would get an opportunity to play, even if they weren’t a regular part of the Day 1 rotation.
Injuries occur. Game plans change. The unpredictability of an 82-game regular season creates opportunities that can’t always be planned.
That’s exactly what happened in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers at Intuit Dome, with Jarred Vanderbilt having an impactful season debut to help get the team back on track after Tuesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers.
“Vando’s always going to play hard,” coach JJ Redick said of the veteran forward. “He’s always going to impact the game with just his effort, and I thought he did that.”
With 2026-27 being his ninth season in the NBA, the value Vanderbilt brings is known.
Hustle.
Versatile defense, with his 6-foot-8, 214-pound frame helping him guard most positions.
A formidable rebounder.
All of which were on display against the Clippers.
He recorded 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes.
While individual plus/minus can be a misleading statistic at times, the Lakers winning Vanderbilt’s minutes by 22 points reflected his impact.
And this came after he was a DNP-CD (did not play – coach’s decision) in the first four games of the season.
“He’s a true professional,” Grimes said. “He’s the first one in the gym, stays after to get some extra shots, gets the extra conditioning in. He’s a great player. He’s been ready, I’ve seen it. Knowing since we were kids. I knew he’d be ready for a game like this, for sure.”
With Kevon Looney’s role in the rotation already diminishing, Vanderbilt could continue to get more playing time, especially as a frontcourt partner next to Sandro Mamukelashvili, who can complement Vanderbilt with his floor-spacing.
The Lakers know Vanderbilt will be ready if his number is called again soon.
“Vando is somebody that is always going to stay ready,” Collin Sexton said. “He was [at the practice facility Wednesday] morning when I came in. He was on the floor, full-out sweat, getting shots up, moving fast. And I felt like he’s always going to be ready for whenever his name is called, but that just shows a true professional. That just shows someone that, no matter the circumstances, they’re going to come each and every day to give what they got.
“And you never see any bad days for Vando, he’s always going to be a leader. He’s always going to come in and be that vet and be that good person. Whether he plays no minutes or he plays 48 minutes, he’s always going to be the same person. And I feel like that’s one of the things that helps in the locker room is we’re all for the team.”
