Since winning the championship in 2020, the Lakers have kind of become chokers in the playoffs. No matter how good their form may be in the regular season, they struggled to make a deep playoff run. Last season symbolized this predicament of the Lakers perfectly. After finishing the regular season as the third seed, the Lakers were effortlessly swept aside by the Wolves in the first round. But that wasn’t supposed to be the case, right? Especially after Luka Doncic’s arrival. So what actually went wrong? Short answer: Defense. A careful analysis pointed out that the team entered the postseason with the worst average point differential of any No. 3 seed in recent NBA history. While the solution for this problem is present in-house, is JJ Redick willing to bet on it?

NBA reporter Jovan Buha, along with Andy Kamenetzky, recently touched base on the Lakers’ lack of success in the postseason. During the same time, Kamenetzky made an argument for bringing in either Marcus Smart or, “if JJ  Redick can find the confidence to do it”, start Jarred Vanderbilt. This would allow some form of defensive balance and more versatility. Furthermore, any offensive limitations that Vanderbilt would be bringing could be easily covered by the array of attacking talent the Lakers possess. This proposal might look good on paper, but does it work in court?

“I know a lot of fans want him to start, and my push back to that, not even against him potentially starting, just more so looking at the reality of the situation of ‘he played 36 games last year, and he only played over 20 minutes in six of them’. And, he didn’t play over 20 minutes in a playoff game. And, if you actually look at this…. I went through the box score, and just remembering what you know, the context of the situation in five of those six games, they were without a starter. So, and often a front-court starter,” said Jovan Buha.

On top of that, he added that “So, there was circumstances that led to, uh, like his season high was 29 minutes against Boston, and that was no Jason Hayes, uh, that, you know, he was out that game. So, Vando started, uh, and they went with like the small ball look, and then that was the game LeBron got injured, so then Vando also had to play more to close that game. So, I just don’t think JJ trusts him. And clearly, like he wasn’t part of that five-man unit. And if you look at a majority of his games, he was a 12 to 18 minute a night guy. So I think that’s the role that JJ envisions for him. So I just don’t see him really being in the starting mix”.

The matchup Jovan Buha referenced took place back in March. Despite being on the court for a respectable 29 minutes, Jarred Vanderbilt scored only 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. On the shooting front, he just made 2-5  (40.0%) field goals, 0-1 (0.0%) 3-pointers, and 0-1 (0.0%) free throws. Even LeBron James’ 22 points and Luka Doncic’s 34 points were not enough to make up for the offensive gap, and the Boston Celtics won the game by a 111-101 score. That one game should be enough to show why JJ Redick was right not to place much faith in Vando. However, a case can be made based on lack of match experience, too, since Vanderbilt played only 36 games in the 2024-25 season, and 29 games back in the 2023-24 season.

As for Marcus Smart, the player possesses the skills to deliver intense defense and hustle plays. At the same time, however, he also holds a reputation for being an injury-prone player. This was probably the reason, according to NBA journalist Anthony Aguirre, why the Miami Heat weren’t in favor of giving up any draft assets for the 11-year veteran. All of this speculation, however, is based on what we have seen from the two players in the past. Things could be different in the upcoming season. From what recent reports have revealed, the two players are certainly putting in the work to ensure they are better prepared.

Marc Stein Highlights Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt’s Improved Conditioning

NBA reporter Marc Stein recently discussed the Lakers in a recent article published on ‘The Stein Line’. According to it, Stein reported hearing from his sources that “Jarred Vanderbilt is healthier now than he was at any point last season, which will naturally spark hope that the versatile forward seems like an offseason addition himself when training camp opens in late September”. Furthermore, he added “I’m likewise told that Smart … has been working hard on his body this summer. Conditioning was an undeniable issue for Smart last season, but the Lakers were convinced during their pursuit that they will see a sleeker version of the 2021-22 DPOY”.

Having Marcus Smart return to the level at which he was playing when he won Defensive Player of the Year is a hefty expectation. Being better than he was back in the 2024-25 season is, as Svyatoslav Rovenchuk described, a necessity. Being a new player on the Lakers roster, he needs to make a good first impression. From what Stein’s report tells us, he is already doing that by putting in the work.

As for Vanderbilt, the player is certainly putting his physicality to the test. For someone who was hampered by injuries the last two seasons, that should be enough to make a good enough impression in JJ Redick’s mind. Then again, things will only become clearer once the regular season approaches.