JJ Redick came away from Jarred Vanderbilt’s return to the Los Angeles Lakers rotation with a clear idea of which frontcourt teammate can help him succeed.
After Vanderbilt made his season debut in Wednesday’s 103-87 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Redick pointed to Sandro Mamukelashvili as a particularly useful partner.
The pairing gave the Lakers a way to use Vanderbilt’s defense alongside a big man who can contribute away from the basket.
Redick described Mamukelashvili as a strong complement to Vanderbilt in his postgame comments.
“Vando is always gonna play hard, he’s always gonna impact the game with just his effort,” Redick said. “I thought he did that tonight. The pairing with Mamu is probably the best pairing in terms of having another big out there that can space and shoot and play-make.”
That explanation matters for a team still sorting out its minutes behind Walker Kessler. Vanderbilt had not appeared in the first four games, but his opportunity against the Clippers gave Redick another combination to evaluate as the Lakers work through their frontcourt options.
Why Jarred Vanderbilt and Sandro Mamukelashvili fit together
Redick’s praise included a specific defensive assignment. Vanderbilt guarded Brook Lopez, and the coach said the Lakers used halftime film to highlight his work preventing a post entry.
“We had Vando on Lopez,” said Redick. “He did a great job. We showed a clip at halftime of fronting him in the post and not allowing him to get the basketball.”
Fronting a post player means getting between him and the passer, forcing the offense to find another way to deliver the ball. It is one way a defender can disrupt a bigger opponent before that player catches it in scoring position, although teammates must be ready to help against a pass over the top.
Mamukelashvili supplies a different set of options at the other end. Redick’s description emphasizes his ability to operate outside the paint and facilitate offense, allowing the Lakers to put another frontcourt player beside Vanderbilt without asking both to provide the same skills.
That addresses a question raised in the Lakers’ ongoing search for a dependable backup-center combination: how to preserve Mamukelashvili’s offensive contributions while getting enough defense and rebounding around him.
Wednesday offered a reason to continue testing the arrangement. The two players contributed in different ways, as the individual totals illustrate.
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Plus-minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 0 | 7 | 2 | +22 |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 13 | 8 | 3 | +21 |
Those are each player’s full-game numbers, not the statistics of the two-man pairing. Plus-minus also reflects everyone sharing the floor and the opposition; it cannot isolate how much credit belongs to a single player.
Redick made a similar qualification when discussing the bench, acknowledging the limits of one game’s plus-minus while crediting Vanderbilt, Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton for their contributions during the Lakers’ better stretches.
What Vanderbilt’s return means for Kevon Looney
The change came with Looney out of the rotation for the night. Redick turned to Vanderbilt after using Looney and Mamukelashvili behind Kessler through the opening four games.
Vanderbilt’s role is more nuanced than simply becoming a conventional backup center. Before the game, Redick told reporters he considered Vanderbilt better suited to defending wings and forwards, while acknowledging that circumstances would require him to play center at times.
Playing Vanderbilt alongside Mamukelashvili offers flexibility in dividing those responsibilities. Their positions on a lineup sheet do not require them to perform identical jobs on offense and defense, as Vanderbilt’s assignment against Lopez demonstrated.
The Lakers were also missing Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams against the Clippers. Their absences created opportunities, so Wednesday’s rotation does not establish how Redick will distribute minutes when those players return.
The next question is whether the combination remains effective against different opponents and with different guards alongside it. Redick’s praise gives the Lakers a reason to revisit it, but his comments did not announce a permanent role change for either Vanderbilt or Looney.
Collin Sexton credits Vanderbilt for staying ready
Sexton also highlighted the way Vanderbilt handled waiting for his opportunity. In his postgame assessment, he described a teammate whose attitude and leadership remained consistent regardless of playing time.
“He’s always going to be the same person,” Sexton said.
That preparation translated into an immediate contribution, Sexton added in comments.
“He came in and brought that juice right away,” said Sexton. “Tonight, he had a huge impact on us winning.”
Collin Sexton showing love to Jarred Vanderbilt:
“He came in and brought that juice right away. Tonight, he had a huge impact on us winning.” pic.twitter.com/5FrAiOccvc
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) October 29, 2026
Vanderbilt did not need a scoring role to help the Lakers in this matchup. The more consequential development was Redick identifying how another frontcourt player’s offensive strengths could make room for Vanderbilt’s defensive work.
Whether that becomes a regular part of the rotation is the decision still ahead.
