Watching Kevon Looney struggle on the floor in the early parts of the season invited a similar thought for many. Why not give Jarred Vanderbilt a chance? If he was going to be eating up $12.4 million of the cap, give him a shot to provide value off the bench.
Even JJ Redick, who has previously shown frustration with Vando, eventually caved. Vanderbilt made his first appearance in the second meeting the Los Angeles Lakers had against the LA Clippers. His impact was immediately felt in the win thanks to his hustle and energy.
Suddenly, it made going back to Looney a tough sell. Redick understood as much, too. The veteran center has been out of the rotation ever since. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has continued enjoying controlled runs off the bench.
All in all, the results of an imperfect fix to the Lakers' backup center problem have been positive. The issue still stands out as something Los Angeles should want to address long-term via the trade market. Until then, Vanderbilt is giving them more good than bad right now.
Jarred Vanderbilt is doing just enough to have a small role off the Lakers bench
The bad with Vanderbilt is obvious. The Lakers forward provides very little as an offensive threat on the floor. 1.7 points per game in his seven appearances communicate as much.
As does the Lakers' offensive rating with him on versus off. With Vando on the court, the Lakers have a mark of 118.8 in the category thus far. With Vanderbilt off the court, they are posting 124.4.
Redick has always understood this drawback of playing his veteran forward, and it has often been the focus of the aforementioned frustrations. However, with a better offensive group around him, those flaws do not stand out as much. Instead, his strengths do.
Vanderbilt's high motor has always been his selling point. That is showing up on the glass. Grabbing boards has been a weakness for the Lakers this season. Vando is gobbling up 3.9 rebounds per game in just 12.4 minutes a night. Thus far, he is averaging the highest total rebound percentage of his career (18.3).
His energy is also showing up on the defensive end overall. Opponents' offensive ratings are 104.7 when Vando is on the court versus 117.2 when he is off. That is a favorable swing, even when considering much of his limited minutes come against second units.
While the Lakers continue to search for their solution at backup center, Vanderbilt is showing signs of being a capable stopgap in the frontcourt. Assuming his early success holds, this has been a positive development for Los Angeles.
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