Jarred Vanderbilt deserves a chance in the rotation

The Denver Nuggets selected Jarred Vanderbilt in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. After being injured for half of the season, he recently returned and has looked the part of a solid NBA player.

When the Nuggets selected Jarred Vanderbilt, they knew what they were getting. He was known for his rebounding and energy when he played college basketball for the University of Kentucky, and profiled to be somewhat of a Kenneth Faried type player.

Coming into the 2018 draft. Vanderbilt had first round potential due to his immense bounce and rebounding skills. He averaged 5.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in just 17 minutes per game during his only season with the Wildcats. Per 40 minutes, those averages shake out to be 13.8 rebounds and 18.5 rebounds per game.

Vanderbilt was buried on a deep Kentucky bench so he wasn’t getting as much run as some of his fellow teammates. He also got injured, which limited him to just 14 games in his freshman year. His limited playing time and injury concerns made him fall a bit in the draft, and the Nuggets scooped him up in a trade with the Orlando Magic, obtaining his draft rights for the rights to Justin Jackson and a future second round pick. 

Much like fellow draftee Michael Porter Jr, Vanderbilt had been rehabbing an injury since the start of the season. However, Vanderbilt returned from the ailment and made his NBA debut on January 25th against the Phoenix Suns, scoring one point on 1-2 free throws, as well as adding in three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in his four minutes on the court.

He also got some playing time against the Brooklyn Nets in a game where the Nuggets struggled to get anything going on either offense or defense early, so coach Michael Malone decided to give Vanderbilt some run to see if he could spark a comeback.

Vanderbilt and his teammates who he was on the floor with did just that. In his eight minutes, Vanderbilt looked a bit lost on offense, finishing 0-3 from the field, but he pulled down seven rebounds in just eight minutes on the floor. He was flying all over the court, providing energy that was contagious to his teammates and when he was on the floor, the unit was able to pull the game to within 12 points at one point, shaving the deficit down from 18 points.

He also came into the game during the Nuggets home win against the Miami Heat on February 11th and grabbed one rebound in his two minutes on the court.

It is no question that Trey Lyles has struggled this year in the backup forward position. He is a talented young player who can shoot the three ball and rebound, but he seems lost on the court and almost all of his numbers are down this year. Denver seems to struggle with him on the court, and while Lyles has improved his play a bit as of late, it still isn’t nearly the level of play the Nuggets need out of their backup power forward.

Lyles has had plenty of opportunities to prove himself, where Vanderbilt has not. Denver wants to win, and Vanderbilt is a young player who has sky high potential. Lyles might not be back with the team next year due to his impending free agency and likely high contract demands, so putting Vanderbilt in the rotation would not only give Denver a chance to see what they have in the rookie, but it could give Vanderbilt a sense of comfort knowing the coaching staff thinks so highly of him.

Denver has the rare luxury of having extreme depth. They have at least nine players that could be starters on an NBA team, and they have an abundance of important role players. However, with that immense depth comes a struggle for playing time for the role players. At this stage in his career, Vanderbilt falls into that category, but with Lyles’ struggles and Vanderbilt’s high energy, it might be time for Malone to give the younger guy a chance.