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JJ Redick must give Lakers outcast with three minutes in 10 games another chance after NBA Cup defeat

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By James Shearman | Last updated Dec 11, 2025 6:13 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the NBA Cup by the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

The Lakers were expected to win the game because they are having an excellent season, and the Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama.

Luka Doncic and LeBron James combined for 54 points, while Marcus Smart contributed an unlikely 26 off the bench, but it was not enough.

That’s because the Lakers’ poor defense proved too big an obstacle to overcome, as the Spurs scored 132 points on 50 percent field goal efficiency.

Head coach JJ Redick should now look at changing his rotation to accommodate one of the better defenders at his disposal.

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Jarred Vanderbilt deserves a chance to help the LA Lakers’ defense

The NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Spurs was not the Lakers’ only bad defensive performance recently.

In the last five games, Redick’s team have allowed 122 points on average, which would make them the fifth-worst in the league if it were over the whole season.

So, something clearly needs to change on that end of the floor for the Lakers to compete with the best teams in the Western Conference.

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And while general manager Rob Pelinka may be looking to address the issue in the trade market, Redick already has a viable option.

Jarred Vanderbilt has not played a single minute in nine of the Lakers’ last 10 games after failing to impress in the first 14.

The forward fell out of Redick’s rotation because of his inefficiency, shooting 43 percent from the field and 27 percent from three.

However, the Lakers might need to accept his offensive struggles to get some more stops on the defensive end.

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None of the Lakers’ starting lineup, including LeBron James, at this stage of his career, are known for their defensive prowess.

Therefore, the second unit must provide at least some support in that regard, and that is what Vanderbilt has built his career on.

His introduction would not completely solve the Lakers’ defensive issues, but 15-20 minutes of him guarding the opposition’s best player would surely help.

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JJ Redick has given up on Jarred Vanderbilt before

It is not the first time that JJ Redick has lost faith in Jarred Vanderbilt and stopped giving him any minutes.

Redick took the 26-year-old out of his rotation during the Lakers’ playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves last season.

He later explained: “I spoke to Gabe [Vincent], Jaxson [Hayes], and Vando within a couple of hours of that game ending.

“To be honest with you, they all understood, to a man, they said, ‘We understand what you are doing, you are trying to win a basketball game, it’s not personal.’ They were professional about it.”

But even though Vanderbilt has handled his disappointments with professionalism, he must be considering his future in LA now that it has happened for a second time.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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