Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick revealed that one of their big men could return soon.
Speaking to reporters after their October 12 practice, Reddick said forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who’s been out since February, has not experienced any setback in his recovery.
“[Vanderbilt] is following our ramp-up protocol,” Redick said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “He has not done any contact work. He has not participated in any non-contact [drills] in practice, but we’re still trying to target the beginning of the season, and we haven’t had any setbacks.”
McMenamin also reported Redick shared he has designed a zone defensive package that is tailored to Vanderbilt’s strength as the Lakers’ most versatile defender.
A 6-foot-8 chiseled forward with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Vanderbilt has the bulk to match up against frontcourt players and the athleticism to defend guards and perimeter players.
Vanderbilt played a key role in the Lakers reaching the 2023 Western Conference Finals. During that playoff run, he was assigned the role of guarding the opposition’s wing scorer, a job he performed exceptionally.
For his defensive versatility, Vanderbilt was rewarded with a four-year, $48 million contract extension that will keep him with the Lakers through the 2027-28 season. He missed 53 games last season with a midfoot sprain.
Vanderbilt averaged 5.2 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field in 29 games last season.
The Lakers are scheduled to play against the Golden State Warriors on October 15 for their fourth preseason game.
JJ Redick Finds Unlikely Preseason Hero in Cross Country Runner
Redick notched his first victory, albeit unofficial, as an NBA coach when the Lakers stormed back from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 107-102 on October 10.
Undrafted rookie Quincy Olivari became an overnight sensation with his fourth-quarter heroics.
“Quincy just completely changed the game,” Redick told reporters afterward. “And to me, and I told our guys this after, what he did is the blueprint for what we’re asking for a few of our players in terms of just picking up full court, being disruptive, taking time off the shot clock.”
“I thought he just executed exactly what we want from someone in his position. And we’ve challenged a number of guys, and they’ve done it well to varying degrees but haven’t seen it executed that well until tonight with Quincy.”
The 6-foot-3 rookie out of Xavier scored 11 points and added five rebounds with two assists and without a single turnover in 10 minutes, all in the fourth quarter. But it was his tenacious defense that stood out the most to Redick.
“So he’s got a background running cross country, so he’s in unbelievable shape at all times,” Redick said of Olivari.
LeBron James Sends Message to Quincy Olivari’s Haters
Olivari, who was an internet meme before his fourth-quarter explosion against the Bucks, drew strong support from the Lakers’ franchise star LeBron James.
“Yeeeeaaaahhhhh Q!!,” James posted on Instagram. “They know who 41 is now.”
The “Who’s 41?” meme was born when Olivari was caught in the background of a SportsCenter’s Bronny James interview taking a selfie with LeBron James.
Olivari’s life quickly changed overnight from just an internet meme to becoming a legitimate NBA prospect. The light-spirited guard found the jokes about him funny and just laughed it off.
“I looked at it, and all the jokes were [NBA] 2k-related,” Olivari told reporters after the game. “And I’m a huge 2k fan. I’ve been playing 2k since about 2k 10, with Kobe Bryant on the cover on the Wii. They started talking about, oh that, like, that’s ‘My Player.’ … I was just crying laughing. And my homeboy, he texted me and was like, ‘You got to capitalize on his marketing.’ So I hadn’t got my media day pictures yet, but I got the picture with LeBron and I said, ‘I’m just gonna post it.’
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