Jarred Vanderbilt reflects on journey back to playing on NBA court

After nearly a year away from regular season action, Jarred Vanderbilt discussed his return to the Lakers.

After multiple surgeries during the summer and setbacks during rehab, Jarred Vanderbilt finally made his season debut on Saturday versus the Warriors.

He was on a minutes restriction but played well during his 12 minutes on the floor, helping the Lakers defeat their Western Conference rival 118-108.

Despite the long absence, it was as if Vanderbilt had never left. He locked down players defensively, grabbed rebounds and had a game-high three steals. Even Vando was surprised at how good he was in return, and after the game, he discussed what it felt like to be back and competing.

“It’s been a long journey,” Vanderbilt said. “Been a tough journey. Almost been a full calendar year since I was able to play the game again. Just taking everything and embracing it, the moment, and being thankful, thankful for the moment, thankful for everybody that was a part of it. My rehab process, the organization, everybody just being patient. It’s a big step in the right direction. It’s been a hell of a journey.”

If Lakers fans were exhausted and frustrated awaiting Vando’s return, imagine everything behind the scenes he went through. It had to be frustrating to want to be out there but be unable to do so. Credit to Vando for working through all of that and making such a grand season debut on Saturday.

While the best-case scenario is Vanderbilt perfectly slotting into Redick’s rotation, a return without restrictions will still take some time.

With Vanderbilt, caution will still be necessary to ensure he doesn’t push too hard or re-injure himself by overwhelming his body with NBA competition. The easing of his minutes will be just as much of the ramp-up, and Lakers fans will have to patiently wait for Vando to be fully back playing.

Luckily, the Lakers seem to be on the same page and are taking the necessary steps to ensure this return is permanent.

In the meantime, if Vanderbilt can continue to play at the level he exhibited against the Warriors, the Lakers will suddenly have more elite perimeter defense on the roster. Soon, Redick's biggest problem will be figuring out how he will play so many guys on a nightly basis.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.