The Los Angeles Lakers have made their position clear on Jarred Vanderbilt. The truth is he is not expected to be a starter or a major-minute player anytime soon. While fans often see him as a potential fifth starter, the coaching staff and insiders view his role differently.
As Jovan Buha explained on his podcast Buha’s Block, Vanderbilt has been “a popular guy for the fan base to throw out as that potential fifth starter.” However, when you look at his actual minutes from last season, it tells a completely different story.
In the 36 games that he was actually healthy, Vanderbilt topped 20 minutes only six times, and in five of those games, at least one starter was injured or out, meaning his heavier minutes came mainly due to absences.