Just bumping this thread to state how much I appreciate what Vando brings to the table for this team, and how I’d lose my s*** if we traded him for Christian Wood.
he's in a contract year, and i think folks are going to be surprised when he earns minutes over guys expected to play ahead of him. you can't teach what he brings on defense.
Recency bias. He was absolutely great during reg season. Absolutely that he will be unplayable at times during playoffs, but until then he's one of our best players. In reg season teams don't prepare schemes for you and most of games are won in energy and fight. He's exactly that and his impact on the floor is noticeable. Those plays when he wins consecutive off boards, dives on the floor or jumps towards the sideline are stuck in my mind and that's what regular season is all about I think after 4/5 games this thread will be full of praises lol
we've got really short memories around here. despite all attempts to scrub it from my brain, i can remember when beverley was our best perimeter defender.
He is pretty much spectacular on defense. These Lakers coaches need to unlock his offense just a little. If he becomes even an average offensive player, he would become a totally integral part of any team.
...... is that even fair, Vando just stealing the ball from the other team like that? One hell of a compilation ..... props to whoever put that time in.
Yeah, it's becoming common in society. Also stats ruin game perception. People get on it too much without actually understanding the impact on the game. Everything in life should be balanced, and stats provide very relevant information that without it we would catch some stuff. But it's worthless in isolation, imo. Both when hyping a player (Russ, Wood...) or the opposite (Vando, even Gabriel...)
I think you have the key right there. They have to unlock the offense at least a little. Vando is good enough to get time anyway on most teams but we are loaded with young guys that are keep getting better fast. Rui figuring out how to play some defense makes it imperative Vando be able to score some if he wants significant minutes. If he can then coach has some difficult but good choices to make. I like that we have so many combinations of players that could start and and play major minutes off the bench and not really be wrong. We are all going to moan and groan if we don't get what we want but ultimately as long as whoever earns the spots gets them I'm good. I just don't want to see someone like a Beverly starting when he obviously shouldn't be. With that said though I don't think we even have anyone like that.
i actually don't think he needs to improve his offense to warrant playing time. it would be great. it would make him a lot of money after next year. but he's playable now because he's a poor man's rodman on defense.
Working with Phil and Rui this off season is honestly the best news I could hear for him. Phil unlocks the best in young players and playing against Rui in those practices/training is a great pair. I think Vando will have his best pro year coming up. I want him with the team long term.
Completely agree. IMO you cannot start Rui over Vando for two reasons: 1) Rui is the primary sub for Lebron 2) Lebron at age 39, is incapable of defending elite wings night in and night out over an 82 game season. Lebron defensively is a 4 now.
Vando was a JOY to watch last season and will be again this year. If he improves on offense: great. If he doesn’t, then that just means we will be able to bring him back on a new cost controlled deal. Either way, we win because he will still be one of the best defenders in the entire League. I bet he significantly improves on those open threes and incrementally on his ball handling.
Yeah but it exposes weaknesses on the team. If we had four guys who could ball out on offense and not have a double team shut them down, then he would be more than great as a fifth option. Not sure we have that.
We aren’t far off: Lebron, AD, Reaves are all there. We’d need just one or Rui, Vincent, DLO, Reddish, Christie to catch fire offensively this season and it’s gonna be hard to stop.