LeBron James, Luka Doncic Applaud Jarred Vanderbilt’s Two-Way Spark in Lakers Lineup
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Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt is drawing high praise from teammates LeBron James and Luka Doncic after rejoining the rotation and showing noticeable progress from three-point range.
Head coach JJ Redick had pulled Vanderbilt earlier in the season, citing offensive concerns that outweighed his defensive impact. The 6-foot-9 forward returned eight games ago as the Lakers looked to shore up perimeter defense around James and Doncic, and his shooting has immediately improved. Vanderbilt is 11-for-21 from beyond the arc during that stretch after starting the year 4-for-15, and he has connected on at least one three-pointer in each of the eight contests.
Following Friday’s 128-121 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena, James highlighted Vanderbilt’s importance.
“We need his athleticism,” James said. “He can guard multiple positions, and it’s key that he’s back. But we also need him to knock down that corner shot when teams don’t guard him. He’s put in a lot of work, and he’s not hesitating.”
Doncic echoed the sentiment, noting Vanderbilt’s offseason work on his jumper.
“He worked on his shot a lot,” Doncic said. “If defenses let him shoot, we’ll keep finding him. Even when he’s hitting those threes, he does so many other things that help us win. He’s often the key to games.”
Vanderbilt played 20 minutes against Memphis, blocking a Ja Morant attempt and drilling a timely three-pointer. His defensive energy and newfound perimeter touch have positioned him as a vital piece for Los Angeles moving forward.
Friday’s win also featured a breakout from forward Jake LaRavia, who ended a shooting slump by scoring 21 points on 3-of-6 from long range. LaRavia entered the game at 30.9% from deep on the season and 22.6% over his previous 10 outings.
Source: Lakers Nation
