So last night, following the Lakers game, we received an update from J.J. Redick regarding Jared Vanderbilt, and unfortunately, it’s not the news we were hoping for.
According to Dan Woike, J.J. Redick has indicated that while Jared Vanderbilt is progressing, he is still experiencing some minor discomfort. The team plans to provide another update in about a week. This isn’t what we wanted to hear, right?
When it comes to Jared Vanderbilt, the hope was that he would be ready to return sooner rather than later, but now it looks like he’s out for at least another week or two. This means we’re not even talking about ramping up his workouts or getting him back into practice—right now, it’s all about evaluating his condition and addressing this ongoing discomfort.
Vanderbilt recently underwent surgery on both feet, and it leaves us all wondering what the next steps are. I genuinely appreciate Jared Vanderbilt’s impact on this team; his ability to defend practically every position on the court is remarkable. He’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Just look at what he did during the Warriors game; it was a masterclass in defensive play. The combination of Anthony Davis and Jared Vanderbilt is known to make for one of the league’s top defenses. I firmly believe he should eventually find his way back into the starting lineup as either a two or a three.
Now, if we slide down to a more practical approach, we might consider bringing D’Angelo Russell off the bench, moving Austin Reaves to point guard, and having Vanderbilt defend the two spot. This could work especially well given the tough guards in the Western Conference—players like Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, Luka Dončić, and Jamal Murray, all of whom would likely face off against him.
In today’s NBA, positional versatility is more crucial than ever. On offense, we could utilize LeBron James at the point since he often operates from the perimeter. This would allow us to have Reaves at the two, Vanderbilt at the three, Rui Hachimura at the four, and Anthony Davis at the five. This lineup would provide size, bolster our rebounding, and enhance our defensive capabilities. It would also alleviate some of the defensive pressure on Reaves, allowing him to take on a secondary assignment rather than the toughest one each night.
Of course, the challenge we face is the possibility that we may not see Jared Vanderbilt on the court at all this season. As much as I admire him, the reality is that availability is the best ability. If he’s only going to be available for a handful of games, we have to reconsider our strategy. Last season, he played around 20 games after missing significant time due to injuries. That’s concerning for any team looking to compete.
The Jared Vanderbilt we need is the one who can contribute significantly throughout the season, ideally playing around 65 to 70 games. We need him healthy and ready to make an impact come playoff time, but he also needs to acclimate to the new offensive and defensive systems we’re running. Familiarity with the coach and understanding the roles in both offensive and defensive schemes are essential for his reintegration into the lineup.
I believe J.J. Redick can help make Jared Vanderbilt a more compatible offensive player, albeit not in the traditional sense, since he isn’t a great shooter. However, under Darvin Ham, we saw Vanderbilt become a double-digit scorer. If we position him correctly in pick-and-roll situations or as a slasher crashing the boards, his length and athleticism could provide valuable contributions.
The question remains: can we rely on him to stay healthy? If he comes back at the end of the month, let’s say December 1st for argument’s sake, it’s likely he would need 15 to 20 games to return to the form we’re accustomed to seeing. This could mean that we wouldn’t have a fully functional Jared Vanderbilt until mid-January, missing a significant portion of the season in the process.
