Why This Former Kentucky Wildcat Should Be Playing More Minutes for the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are a team to watch next season, with multiple returnees and new players who are ready to make an impact. Many of those returnees had significant impacts last season, such as Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. Other players were important in the regular season and in the playoffs. However, the Lakers struggled in the postseason with their defense and rebounding, which led to them getting knocked out by the Timberwolves in five games, with Rudy Gobert scoring 27 points and collecting 24 rebounds in the elimination game. There was one player who was not receiving many minutes in the playoffs, who could have helped the Lakers on the defensive end.
Jarred Vanderbilt is a player who should be playing more minutes for the Lakers. He is still only 26 years old, and he is a high motor player who does anything for his team to win. This past season, in only 16 minutes per game, he averaged four points, five rebounds, and a steal per game. Although he only played in 36 games this past season because of an early injury that held him out til January, he was an essential player on the defensive end and rebounding in his limited action. The stats may not show it, but he is the key to this Lakers' defense, on a team that is full of star power, and Vanderbilt could have helped the Lakers tremendously in the playoffs and made a bigger run in the postseason.
Vanderbilt is a versatile player who can guard multiple positions on the court. He is a strong rebounder on both sides of the floor and brings a high level of energy and hustle when he is out on the court. However, he struggles with maintaining both health and offensive consistency, as shown by his low shooting volume of three attempts per game and his shooting percentage below 50%. Apart from his offensive game, his defensive game is powerful, and his defense can play a significant role for the Lakers in their upcoming season.
During the playoffs, head coach J.J. Redick played Vanderbilt around 12 minutes per game, and in two of the games, Vanderbilt played less than 10 minutes. In an area where the Lakers needed the most help, one of their better players for that position was on the bench and unable to assist his team. As previously mentioned, Vanderbilt is only 26 years old. If he continues to develop his offensive game while keeping his defensive and rebounding effort, he can be a player ready to step in when his name is called to make a play. With Dončić, James, and sometimes Reaves expected to attract double teams, it can create offensive opportunities for Vanderbilt to score more points and make NBA defenses respect him on the offensive end. If Vanderbilt continues to get more minutes and keeps improving, he could be the spark the Lakers need for a deep playoff run this upcoming season as they look for their 18th NBA championship.
