Jarred Vanderbilt to make season debut on Saturday
Jarred Vanderbilt will make his season debut on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors after missing almost a year of action.
BREAKING: after missing nearly 1 year due to injury, Jarred Vanderbilt has been cleared to make his return this Saturday night vs the Warriors.
WOW 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3q2RLdL9xx
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 22, 2025
The defensive forward will be a key addition to the rotation as one of their better point-of-attack defenders. When he’s on the floor with Dorian Finney-Smith, they should become an elite perimeter defense duo.
Jarred Vanderbilt has been rehabbing after having surgery on both feet this offseason. The 25-year-old appeared in 29 games last season, averaging 5/5/1 with 1.2 steals per game.
This will be Vanderbilt’s first time suiting up with JJ Redick as his head coach. His defensive presence will help LA tremendously, but it will be interesting to see how Redick incorporated him into the offense. Will Vanderbilt be running off-ball screens? Will he be used as a cutter?
However they decide to incorporate him, having Vanderbilt back on the floor is a plus for the Purple and Gold.
As Redick mentioned in a press conference a few weeks ago, he will be on a minutes restriction upon his return. Their goal is to slowly incorporate him into the rotation so he can get full minutes in the playoffs.
Lakers fans have waited a long time for this, and the Vandolorian’s return is set for Saturday against Golden State.
