Jarred Vanderbilt returns and helps lift Lakers over Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO —  Nearly a week ago, Lakers coach JJ Redick and LeBron James spoke about the margins of the game, the things that help provide cushion and cover for a team when it’s not perfect. Both said, internally, there weren’t great options for the Lakers to extend those margins.

In some ways, only a massive roster reconstruction would fix the problem. James will always be 40. Anthony Davis will always have his issues in transition defense because of the way he crashes toward the hoop. The Lakers will always lose the mathematical battle because of their lower volume of three-point attempts.

But on Saturday, one player showed in his first 12 minutes of the season the ways he could provide the Lakers with a little more room for error.

Jarred Vanderbilt, out since Feb. 1 because of foot injuries, checked in during the second quarter of the Lakers’ 118-108 win over the Golden State Warriors and immediately made an impact, delivering a much-needed boost that his skill set can provide.

“Vando was awesome,” Redick said. “Did all the things that we need him to do.”

Vanderbilt’s only bucket came on an offensive rebound, but he had three steals and four rebounds, extending possessions on the offensive end and closing them out on the defensive side.

“I knew I might be a little rusty coming in and as far as rhythm and knowing the plays and all that stuff,” Vanderbilt said. “So my main goal was just to go in there and play hard. Bring the energy and then everything else — just control the controllable and everything else will play its hand.”

It was these little things he provided that stood out as the Lakers turned in another 48 minutes of good basketball to win their third straight game.

“It looked like he didn’t miss a beat,” James said. “I mean, he’s flying around. What he does don’t even always show up in the box score.”

Vanderbilt’s contributions proved valuable for a Lakers team that was forced to make starter Rui Hachimura a late scratch because of a calf injury.

Max Christie and Gabe Vincent, two other players tasked with helping the Lakers with the little things, defended Stephen Curry wonderfully, limiting the Warriors star to 13 points on four-for-17 shooting, Curry missing all eight of his second-half attempts.

“It’s Steph, man,” James said. “Just hope that he miss. Put bodies in front of him and just hope that he miss.”

Davis dominated the Warriors’ depleted frontcourt, which was missing Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green, for 36 points and 13 rebounds. James had 25 points and 12 assists and Austin Reaves had 16 points and seven assists.

“The last two games, our three best players have played really well and everyone else has starred in their roles,” Redick said. “And that’s what a great team is, is guys starring in their roles. And so for Vando, him starring his role, Gabe starring his role, Max Christie starring his role, Jaxson Hayes starring his role, all those guys. … That creates a margin for us to become a great team.”

The Lakers (25-18) continue their Grammys trip Monday in Charlotte.

“We have to be ready to play every single game, regardless of who we’re playing,” Reaves said. “We need to go into every game playing to continue to get better. And we can’t take our foot off the gas. We gotta do that every single game and hopefully we have a good trip.”