Following significant roster enhancements, the Los Angeles Lakers kicked off the 2025 NBA preseason under a cloud of high expectations. However, back-to-back losses have cast serious doubts on their potential for a strong showing in the upcoming season. In the aftermath of their final preseason matchup against the Golden State Warriors, JJ Redick made headlines with unexpected praise for a standout player—notably, it wasn’t Austin Reaves.

“I’ve been very impressed with just the amount of work he’s [Jarred Vanderbilt] done this summer on his game, and obviously, his body is significantly better than this time last year, or even when the season ended… He’s moving better, his handle is tighter… He’s been working on his game. And the shot is the big thing for him, if he can be a consistent th

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