Lakers News: Jarred Vanderbilt Hounded The Heck Out Of Stephen Curry In Game 1

LA's do-everything defender has a tall task in this series.

Los Angeles Lakers starting power forward Jarred Vanderbilt drew the short straw defensively for the team's ongoing second round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors: All-Star point guard Stephen Curry, the reigning Finals MVP. Vanderbilt is making the most out of the assignment, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

Reserve LA point guard Dennis Schröder also occasionally handled Curry when Vanderbilt sat. 

“I was telling LeBron that I don’t know how much that [expletive] ran. Probably about 2 miles the whole time. I was like, ‘God dang,’ ” Vanderbilt said.

Though Curry did score 27 points in the Lakers' 117-112 Game 1 win on Tuesday, it took him an inefficient 10-of-24 shooting to get there, and that 27-point number was his lowest output across eight playoff games this season thus far. He went 6-of-13 from deep and 1-of-1 from the free throw line. That field goal conversion rate is a far cry from the 48% field goal shooting Curry achieved during the regular season. 

Spears adds that Vanderbilt's defense hounded Curry into committing three turnovers while Vanderbilt served as his main defender.

“He’s a hell of a player,” Vanderbilt reflected. “He’s even more dangerous without the ball. One second you think you can relax and give it up. That is when you have to lock in the most.

“He’s a tough cover. We have a lot of bodies to throw at him. Starting with me, Dennis, I think everyone did a great job of chasing him around kind of wearing him down and making it hard for him.”

As Spears notes, the 6'9" Vanderbilt also was tasked with guarding hyper-athletic All-NBA Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant through much of LA's six-game first round series against the Grizz, and previously had drawn the assignment of covering Dallas Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic during the regular season. He's capably of convincingly defending all five positions thanks to his lateral quickness and strength, although Curry occasionally shook him when teammates screened for the Warriors star.

“That is my calling on the team," Vanderbilt claimed. "I like those matchups. Those challenges. That is what I’m here to do,” Vanderbilt said.

Vanderbilt's own counting stats were fairly modest in Game 1, just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

“I watched a lot of film. I’ve guarded him before, just not in the playoffs,” Vanderbilt said. “I just locked down and just trusted the game plan. Anytime he’s inside the 3-point line it’s a win for us. Just get him off the [3-point] line and make him drive to take a couple layups."

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