Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt Gets High Praise on Revamped Jump Shot

Last season, the Lakers got next to nothing out of Jarred Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt only played 36 games for Los Angeles and was not a factor late in the year.

Availability has been a major issue for Vanderbilt. Over the past four seasons, he has yet to play more than 52 games. Health has been something that he has avoided over the last few years.

Heading into this season, Vanderbilt finally looks healthy. JJ Redick has been pleased with what he's seen from him. His teammates are even talking about how much his jump shot has improved.

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New Lakers teammate Jake LaRavia, who inked a two-year, $12 million deal to join LA in free agency, raved about what Vanderbilt has done to his jump shot, saying it looks much better than it did before. Khobi Price of The Orange County Register caught up with LaRavia.

“It’s gotten much better. I know early on in my career, we didn’t respect him as a shooter, but fair to say that he can shoot the ball very well now," LaRavia said. "He’s been hitting shots. I don’t know if he tweaked something, it looks really good now and it’s going in.”

Redick has already heaped a ton of praise on Vanderbilt, saying he looks much better now that he's finally healthy.

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“It’s night and day the way Vando is moving right now, even from when we finished the season," Redick said. "His growth in body mechanics this summer is significant and it’s evident in the first two days of camp.”

The Lakers need a healthy Jarred Vanderbilt to reach their ceiling

If the Lakers want to have a chance to win an NBA title, they need Vanderbilt to be healthy and good. They need his defense, especially because he's quick enough as a power forward to switch onto the perimeter.

Vanderbilt has proven to be a great rebounder when he's been out on the court, as well. Adding him to the rotation when they weren't able to count on him last year.

The Lakers need to figure out how they can best protect Vanderbilt from getting hurt again. The best ability is availability.

In just 36 games last season, Vanderbilt averaged 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He shot 48.8 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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