2023-24 statistics that prove Jarred Vanderbilt is the ultimate Lakers X-Factor

4.2

The Los Angeles Lakers are a better team when Jarred Vanderbilt plays than when he doesn't. It's a simple statement that's supported by a bevy of statistics, with few proving more significant than a simple look at the on-off marks from this past season.

In 2023-24, the Lakers were 4.2 points per 100 possessions better when Vanderbilt was on the court than when he wasn't—which begins and ends on defense.

In 2023-24, the Lakers allowed 115.1 points per 100 possessions when Vanderbilt wasn't on the court. When he was, that number took a nosedive to 109.9, marking a decrease of 5.2 points per 100 possessions based solely on Vanderbilt being active.

It's perhaps the greatest testament to not only his individual defensive ability, but how important he is to maximizing the Lakers' potential as a team.

The unfortunate reality is that Vanderbilt only played 68 possessions with the starting lineup of D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. The Lakers had a net rating in the 82nd percentile of the NBA when he did, however, and finished in the 92nd percentile in 2022-23—thus showing at least some degree of sustained success.

Swap Vanderbilt into the starting lineup and the Lakers play like a genuine contender. It might sound like an outlandish statement, but the statistics support the belief.