Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the NBA's best rebounders

Remember the version of Jarred Vanderbilt we briefly experienced at Kentucky? The pogo-stick athlete who could practically bite the rim when he jumped for rebounds? He was basically Oscar Thshiebwe with trampolines in his sneakers.

With injuries finally behind him, that version of J-Vando has found his place in the NBA. He hustles as a versatile defender and pulls down a ton of rebounds as Karl-Anthony Towns’ running mate in the Minnesota front-court.

On the season, Vanderbilt is averaging 6.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Not eye-popping numbers, but when you consider that Vanderbilt is only playing 24 minutes a game, that rebounding number is way on the high end.

Really, he’s had a ridiculous month rebounding the basketball. Since November 17th, Jarred Vanderbilt is ninth in the NBA in rebounds per game while playing fewer minutes than anyone ahead of him. He’s also the No. 1 offensive rebounder in the NBA over the last month, grabbing 4.1 offensive boards per game.

Vanderbilt’s hot month on the glass has boosted him into the top echelon of rebounding categories across the board.

He’s tied at 6th in the league with Rudy Gobert — the three-time Defensive Player of the Year — in total offensive rebounds in 2021-22. He also checks in at 13th in total rebound percentage and eighth in offensive rebound percentage. And he’s top 20 in defensive rebounding percentage as well.

Without a doubt, Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA, and one of the best all-around board-grabbers in the world. That was always his best skill and he’s finally capitalizing on it.

In the NBA, there is such a thing as simplifying yourself for the better. John Calipari has said it about Kentucky players in the past. Don’t try to do too much…doing less is going more. For Vando, he puts on his hard hat and bulldozes into the paint to crash the glass when he’s on the court. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Great to see Jarred Vanderbilt finding some success in the league. Perhaps he’s laying the blueprint for how Oscar Tshiebwe can stick in the NBA as well.