Vanderbilt Stresses Unity After Heated Exchange With Coach JJ Redick
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Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt said the team has put a recent courtside confrontation with head coach JJ Redick behind them, calling unity “super important” as the postseason approaches.
The incident occurred during the Lakers’ lopsided loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in the week, when cameras captured Vanderbilt and Redick yelling at each other before teammates intervened. Since then, Los Angeles has posted back-to-back victories, though Vanderbilt logged just 12 minutes in each game after playing 19 and 26 minutes in the two contests preceding the dispute.
“We talked about it and moved on from it,” Vanderbilt said following Thursday’s win over the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena. “At this point in the season, we both realize this is the group we’ve got, so it’s definitely not a time for everybody to separate.”
The Lakers will likely be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the entire first round of the playoffs, increasing their reliance on Vanderbilt’s defense. The forward noted that the club has already weathered significant adversity this season.
“Every team goes through ups and downs—injuries, losing streaks, winning streaks,” he said. “The best teams are the ones that can withstand the tough times and bounce back quicker than other teams.”
Vanderbilt’s playing time has fluctuated throughout his Lakers tenure, sometimes exceeding 25 minutes per night and at other times disappearing entirely from the rotation. With the postseason looming, Redick’s decision to reinsert him could prove critical for a roster suddenly thin on perimeter stoppers.
Redick’s blunt coaching style has reached others as well. Center Deandre Ayton said earlier this week that being called out by the first-year head coach helped refocus both him and the team.
Source: LakersNation.com
