Saturday night was the first of a six-game road trip for the Los Angeles Lakers and it also marked the long-awaited return of Jarred Vanderbilt. With that, Vanderbilt gives the Lakers and Anthony Davis some much-needed help on the defensive end of the floor.
With Rui Hachimura being sidelined due to a calf issue, the 25-year-old forward was expected to get some action in his first game back. While it was only 12 minutes, Vanderbilt was impressive with his defensive activity despite missing nearly a calendar year.
Head coach JJ Redick wasted no time by pairing him with Davis and Dorian Finney-Smith to strengthen the team’s defense.