Lakers hoping Marcus Smart, Jarred Vanderbilt will help with ball pressure

Lakers hoping Marcus Smart, Jarred Vanderbilt will help with ball pressure

EL SEGUNDO — Lakers coach JJ Redick acknowledged multiple times throughout the 2024-25 season that they didn’t have a traditional defensive perimeter “stopper” on the roster. And because of that, his team would have to rely on the effort, schemes and techniques within a team defense to have success on that end of the court – especially after trading Max Christie and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the deal that brought Luka Donc…

JJ Redick: Lakers May Have 'Pre-Injury' Jarred Vanderbilt

Jarred Vanderbilt was considered a throw-in for the Russell Westbrook trade, but he’s become a key part of the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench. Vanderbilt gives the Lakers a massive energy boost whenever he enters the game, making hustle plays that don’t always show up in the box score. Vanderbilt’s combination of defense, high-intensity effort and rebounding make him an ideal role player for Los Angeles, but health has been an issue over the years. T…

Lakers Notes: Smart, Vanderbilt, Kleber, Backcourt Rotation, Koloko

Coach JJ Redick is hoping the offseason addition of Marcus Smart and better health from Jarred Vanderbilt will improve the Lakers‘ perimeter defense, writes Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. Smart is a former Defensive Player of the Year and Vanderbilt has also been a highly regarded defender, but they’ve both been slowed by injuries over the past two seasons. “With a healthy Vando and hopefully a healthy Marcus, our ability to put more…