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JJ Redick Pinpoints Lakers’ “Bright Spot” in Blowout Loss to Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason got off to a rocky start on Friday, Oct. 3. JJ Redick’s team suffered a 22-point loss to the Phoenix Suns (103-81).

Despite being blown out, Redick found some positives in his team’s performance. When speaking to the media during his post-game news conference, he pinpointed Jarred Vanderbilt as a bright spot for the Lakers.

“I thought Vando played extremely hard and was very disruptive,” Redick said. “…He was a bright spot tonight. I thought his physicality, disruption defensively was good. As he builds his conditioning, I expect him to be an elite offensive rebounder for us this year. He’s really worked on his shot, I know it didn’t show tonight. But he’s worked on his shot and he’s getting more and more comfortable shooting spot-up 3s. So I expect him to be an impact player for us.”

Vanderbilt’s first two seasons with the Lakers have been decimated by injuries. He played in just 29 games in the 2023-24 season and followed that up with 39 regular-season outings in the 24-25 campaign. Clearly, Redick is hoping Vanderbilt can stay healthy, especially due to what he provides defensively on the perimeter.


Redick Hopes Lakers Have “Pre-Injury” Vanderbilt

During the same news conference, Redick noted how Vanderbilt’s production in the early days of preseason is giving him hope that he’s back to his pre-injury best.

“It looks like we do have the pre-injury version of Vando,” Redick said. “I’ve talked a lot with him this summer about just like that he got put into a tough spot, post-trade, because he had to play the five, there weren’t other options. Just play small, had to be the backup five, they were our two options. So, I think getting him back on the perimeter, his body being in a good place from an athleticism and agility standpoint, will be super helpful for our team.”

Last season, the Lakers ranked 17th in the NBA for defensive rating, allowing 113.8 points per game. Rob Pelinka has moved to fix some of those defensive issues this summer. Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton will all help shore up the defensive rotation.

However, having Vanderbilt back and healthy will also be a huge boost to Redick and the Lakers‘ defense.


Lakers Face Warriors Next

Los Angeles will be back in action on Sunday, Oct. 5. The second game of their preseason preparations will be against the Golden State Warriors. Steve Kerr’s team will be looking to build chemistry after the roster was recently rounded out, following a prolonged standoff with Jonathan Kuminga.

Nevertheless, the Lakers will undoubtedly want to get into the win column. Even though these games don’t count, it’s important to build some momentum and stack some preseason wins. Nevertheless, Redick will likely be focused on seeing signs of improvement from his rotation. Fitness, understanding of the system’s principles and overall cohesion will be among the key indicators of how the Lakers are progressing.

Vanderbilt will undoubtedly want to continue impressing and proving his value to the organization. After two difficult years, this could be the season where he finally shines.  Hopefully, a healthy season from him can get the franchise one step closer to a championship.

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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports

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