For the first time during his tenure as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick will enter training camp with a healthy version of Jarred Vanderbilt. That only scratches the surface of the frustration Vanderbilt has felt, as his Lakers career has been marred by injuries.
After two years of struggling to find the court, however, it appears as though Vanderbilt is finally back at 100 percent and ready to step up as Los Angeles' defensive stopper.
Vanderbilt, who's still just 26 years of age, has excelled when healthy with the Lakers. Unfortunately, playing time has been tough to come by for a player whose defensive value is impossible to overlook, but whose injury history has become a defining characteristic of his reputation.