A major sigh of relief for the Lakers! They have been in incredible form recently, winning their last three home games and sitting in the sixth spot of the West standings. And while they have not made any significant trades to upgrade the roster, the LA franchise will get a massive boost this weekend as Jarred Vanderbilt could finally make his season debut.

Yes, JJ Redick confirmed, “He’s out tomorrow. He’s medically cleared and available for Saturday.” Well, Vando has not played in an NBA game since last February. The reason? Recovering from offseason surgeries to repair a bone spur in his left foot and a right mid-foot sprain. But he is finally healthy and ready to go. Although he will sit out tomorrow’s Celtics clash, we can expect him to suit up for the Warriors game this weekend.

Of course, the Lakers will be extremely cautious about Jarred’s return and he will likely be on major minutes restrictions for the first few games. JJ even stated that being available doesn’t mean the forward will surely get playing time.

“This whole process with him has been about the long term and we’re gonna continue to be patient… If he’s feeling good, he will be available. And that’s no guarantee that he will play.”

Sure enough, the head coach will first have to figure out where Vanderbilt fits into the equation. The Lakers have been solid so far, and any drastic changes to the rotation could hurt their momentum. Moreover, JJ has never coached a game with Jarred in the lineup, so he will be extra careful about putting him on the court against Stephen Curry and Co. But what are Vanderbilt’s thoughts about returning from a year-long hiatus?

Jarred Vanderbilt disregards mental challenges while JJ Redick reveals “next step” amid the forward’s return

Of course, playing after a year’s break following an injury, that too under a new head coach would be a massive challenge for Vando on the court. But what about his internal battles? When asked about the mental challenges amid the recovery process, he had a pretty optimistic response, “I feel good. Just being able to get out there and run and play basketball and feel healthy, being able to do movements and trying to get back to how I was prior to the injury.” Well, Jarred was a dominant force before he got injured and played a key role in the Lakers’ run to the West finals two seasons ago. And he aims to return to being the same player again.

Moreover, he denied any restrictions upon his return, saying, “No. It’s still day to day. We progressing in the right direction. Obviously, I’m available for Saturday. That’s treading in the right direction.” While Vando is excited to step on the court again, JJ understands that there is still some work that needs to be done. The focus now is on getting the forward to game shape by working on his conditioning. And Redick revealed the plan going forward, “We both agree like it’s really hard to be in game shape until you are playing a game. So, that is the next step for him.”

Hopefully, we will see Vanderbilt get some playing time this Saturday as the first step to his highly-anticipated return. Are you excited?