The Los Angeles Lakers have suffered back-to-back defeats to start the NBA preseason.
The most recent loss for the Los Angeles Lakers came at the hands of their conference rivals, the Golden State Warriors.
With a short-handed team, the Lakers suffered a 111-103 defeat as they are now 0-2 to start the preseason.
Despite the tough loss, head coach JJ Redick provided a positive update about one of the Lakers’ stars.
Photo by Harry How/Getty ImagesJJ Redick says Jarred Vanderbilt’s body is ‘significantly better’ than last season
Jarred Vanderbilt made headlines before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, primarily because of his improved three-point shooting ability.
In fact, even Ja Morant praised Vanderbilt’s growth as a shooter. Speaking of Vanderbilt, coach Redick recently pointed out another positive quality of the veteran forward.
“I’ve been very impressed by just the amount of work that he’s done this summer on his game, and obviously his body is significantly better than this time last year or even when the season ended,” Redick told the media.
Last season, Vanderbilt played in just 36 games for the Lakers. In fact, staying fit has been a recurring issue for him since joining the team.
But with coach Redick praising Vanderbilt’s fitness, the Laker Nation may finally see the 26-year-old at the peak of his talent.
JJ Redick urges Jarred Vanderbilt to become a consistent three-point shooter
Vanderbilt has emerged as an elite player for Redick so far in the preseason. But to truly unlock his full potential, coach Redick wants Vando to become a consistent three-point shooter.
“He’s moving better, his handle is tighter. He’s been working on his game, and the shot is sort of the big thing with him. If he can be a consistent three-point shooter for us, that unlocks a lot,” he stated.
Despite an improved shooting form, Vanderbilt has struggled to shoot well from deep in the postseason.
He has attempted six shots from the three-point line, but has managed to make only one of them. That means Vanderbilt is currently shooting a measly 16.6% from deep.