Jarred Vanderbilt is not returning to his 2023 form, and it is time Los Angeles Lakers fans stopped waiting for it to happen. The injuries, the decline in athleticism, and the regression on offense have all added up. He is simply no longer the impactful rotation piece the Lakers once leaned on.
When Vanderbilt first arrived in Los Angeles, he looked like a steal in a trade. He gave the Lakers a jolt of defense, energy, and versatility during their 2022–23 run to the Western Conference Finals.
As Jovan Buha said on Buha’s Block, that stretch was “close to Vando’s ceiling.