The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing great recently. They beat the young OKC Thunder squad on Monday and blew out the Dallas Mavericks 127-110 tonight. A major reason for the Lakers’ success tonight was their lockdown defense. LeBron James and Co. shut down the Mavericks’ fast-paced offense and limited them to 110 points. No player on the Mavs roster apart from Luka Doncic crossed the 20-point mark.

Anthony Davis revealed the Lakers X-factor that has led to their impressive defense in recent wins against two elite NBA teams. AD credited his teammate Jarred Vanderbilt for the Lakers’ lockdown defense against the Mavs tonight. Davis had high praise for the 6’10 Forward. “He’s a phenomenal defender. 6’10” and able to guard the ball the way he does. Go from Luka [Doncic] to Kyrie [Irving]. Go down to [Dereck] Lively and bigs, so he’s finding his rhythm. … We’re going to need him for the rest of the season.” Davis said.

Vanderbilt finished with only 7 points and 9 rebounds tonight, but his impact went far beyond the stat sheet. Davis appreciated Vanderbilt’s ability to guard all positions on the court. Even tonight, Vando switched multiple times between guarding Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Although Luka finished with a triple-double, Vanderbilt was able to contain Kyrie to only 12 points. That is impressive, considering Kyrie had 5 consecutive 30+ point games heading into tonight’s game. Vanderbilt can also use his size to guard at the Power Forward and Center position. The Lakers need Vando’s toughness and effort for the rest of the season to get back in the playoff picture.

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Jarred Vanderbilt’s rise slowed down by injuries

Vanderbilt got traded to the Lakers last February before the mid-season trade deadline. He had an immediate impact on the Lakers’ performance and helped them get to the Western Conference Finals. Vando was rewarded with a 4-year $48 million contract extension following his impressive performance. However, Vanderbilt has played only 21 games this season due to injury. He missed a major chunk of games at the beginning of the season due to left heel bursitis. That caused him to get out of rhythm and lose his momentum.

The 24-year-old Forward is averaging only 3.1 points and 4.5 rebounds this season. However, he is starting to show some consistency as the season progresses. Vando has played great in the last two games, and Laker Nation hopes for him to continue his impressive form to help their team get more wins.

Do you think Jarred Vanderbilt can redeem himself and turn the Lakers season around?

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