The Los Angeles Lakers opened their preseason with a lopsided defeat to the Phoenix Suns, but head coach JJ Redick singled out forward Jarred Vanderbilt for his defensive spark.
The game took place on Oct. 3, 2025 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California. Although the Lakers fell heavily, Redick praised Vanderbilt’s effort, calling him “a bright spot tonight.”
Vanderbilt, 26, finished with 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal while shooting 0-for-4 from the field, including 0-for-3 from deep. Despite the modest box-score line, his hustle plays and on-ball pressure drew Redick’s attention.
“I thought Vando played extremely hard and was very disruptive,” Redick said. “As he builds his conditioning, I expect him to be an elite offensive rebounder for us this year.” The coach added that Vanderbilt has been working on his jumper and is becoming more comfortable spotting up from three-point range.
After dealing with multiple injuries in recent seasons, Vanderbilt looked fully healthy. Redick noted in training camp that the forward is moving like his “pre-injury” self and benefits from returning to a perimeter role rather than the small-ball center duties he handled after last season’s trade deadline.
With the Lakers short on proven perimeter stoppers, Vanderbilt is expected to log significant minutes if he can remain effective on defense and serviceable on offense.
Source: LakersNation
