The Los Angeles Lakers played their first preseason game on Friday night, losing to the Phoenix Suns 81-103. Despite the losses, Lakers head coach JJ Redick highlighted one player whom he believes is a bright spot for his team.
In the first preseason game, the Los Angeles Lakers were without LeBron James and Lukadon Sic. It was clear that both would help win the game. Doncic had a busy summer with Eurobasket. So that’s why we can see that he played this game.
Meanwhile, James had nerve stimulation on his lute, so he saw the game from the bystander. The Lakers struggled due to the absence of the star player, but there was a disappointing performance, especially from Deandre Ayton.
Despite his rough performance, Lakers head coach JJ Redick was pleased with one player. The player was Jarred Vanderbilt, one of the players Lakers fans wanted to perform better this time.
As a coach, Redick has a unique perspective on what he wants from his team. Given that this is a preseason game, he wanted to see a fight from the players. Vanderbilt showed off it by standing out in defense and energy.
Apart from his usual traits, Vanderbilt has made some improvements to his offensive game. In the past, Vanderbilt was considered a liability for attacks as he was an inefficient shooter, but he thrived as a dunker’s location and cutter. Despite these issues, the Lakers held up to Vanderbilt, knowing he could contribute.
Of course, Vanderbilt only scored one point, so that offensive breakout didn’t happen against the Suns. However, he caught Redick’s eye and the coach was impressed by the healthy Vanderbilt working hard for the team.
“He was a bright spot. He thought his physicality, his level of conditioning, he would be an elite, offensive rebounder for us this year,” Reddick said after the match.
“He’s really worked on his shots, I know he didn’t show it tonight, but he’s working on the shots and he’s filming an increasingly comfortable spot-up 3.
The big story for the Lakers is Vanderbilt’s improvements as a shooter. That’s important to the team. Because they need more spot-up shooters. Given that Vanderbilt is not a well-known threat, he was able to use some shots to knock down in the 2025-26 season.
Jake Laravia points out that Vanderbilt has improved shooting in the offseason. The Lakers need his contribution to justify him getting regular minutes. In the past, they have struggled because of his excellent defensive value, but the lack of offensive firepower has become an issue.
Vanderbilt may have played a major role in the 2025-26 season as Reddick realizes his offseason efforts. Of course, Louis Hachimura might start before him, but Vanderbilt will obviously play a key role from the bench as a disruptive defender who can be filmed right now.
If he can reach the ceiling, the Lakers may have hidden weapons. Donsic and James are top stars, but if they can securely pass through Vanderbilt and hit shots and defend at the highest level, the Lakers can have a more balanced team.