I like this deal. Feels like a win for both sides. Beyond what others have mentioned, I would think the financial security will make it even easier to focus on just doing what's being asked of him even if he isn't putting up huge numbers. Defensive wings are always a good thing and we've got one locked up now. He's only 24 so I think there is reason to be optimistic that he will improve on offense.
Meh: I think people are really discounting how bad he was on offense in the playoffs. Ham put him in the dunker spot, at the corner 3, as the screener and the offense crashed with him regardless of where he was played or what kind actions were run. IMO too many are just focused on the 3 point shooting but he's got poor hands so has difficulty controlling the ball if he rolls and on top of that he has difficulty finishing thru contract. So he's got difficulty in putting pressure on the rim as well as the gravity concerns with his shooting. Ironically enough the Wood signing may be his saving grace as that can negate the shooting problems by letting him play closer to the rim. Hopefully, that weird rumored growth spurt actually happened and he can get better at finishing inside
I can't think of a wing player out there that is good on both defense and offense that we could get for that contract.
Love this extension. The defense is necessary for this team. AD can’t be everywhere and we need a perimeter stopper so AD’s defensive load isn’t so heavy. Funneling everything to AD and expecting him to score at a high clip is just too much of a load. Offensively Vando had an off season with Handy coaching him. Hopefully he gets the same bump Rui got last season from working with Handy. Ham the rest of the coaches have time and preseason games to figure out how these parts actually work together instead of trying to figure it out on the fly. Throwing Vando in the corner 3 spot seemed like best they could do on the fly since they didn’t have time to think of anything else. I don’t expect that to be his role this season unless Handy can vouch for an improved corner 3. I think Vando will have a significant jump this season like Rui did last, but if not, that contract is very tradeable.
as others have said, vando's influence on the tenor of the game is also just really valuable. hustle is a skill.
Just a FYI, apparently we can no longer trade him this season (not that I would have even wanted to trade him, but just an interesting wrinkle to the extension):
Yeah that's the biggest win of the post-Russ period. It's such a change of scenario and not talked enough. I LOVE these guys Most people said already what I think. Overpaid at this price but he's valuable on-court. Availability and energy are HUGE commodities in today's game and we have Rui to take over on the playoffs. He's definitely not falling off the rotation like some anticipated. We are playing big this year Also, this hints that they are REALLY high on him this offseason, he may be showing incredible development for us to make this move this soon. I think he averaged 3 to 4 assists a game in Utah, I was surprised with his lack of handling of the ball, maybe there's something more on him and we just didn't used him right because of the pressure to succeed post-deadline
I think Vando working with Handy and then getting the contract tells a lot. If he worked all off season and didn't improve they likely wouldn't have given him an extension. Stacking all this talent around AD and Austin starting to look like a dynasty coming our way. I know Ham is smiling. Despite ragging on him I loved his hiring and think he is just what we need with this roster.
despite moves the fans regularly questioned during the regular season, I felt he pulled all the right strings in the playoffs and did a great job. Even if we did some things different, we weren't beating a superior Denver team last year, so it feels like we maxxed out our potential at least.
The Lakers have always had trouble finding long 3&D roleplayers to stay on the team long term. Especially younger ones that are able to stay on the team longer than 1 season. We usually sign over the hill roleplayers at the minimum. It’s a bit of an overpay right now, but if he comes into the season with a much improved 3 point shot and his defense remains very good, it’s a steal. Like JSM mentioned, when the new tv contracts get signed and the salary cap goes up, Vando’s $12 mil will be the equivalent of $8-10mil. We also keep a young, ascending asset that could easily be moved in a larger trade if it comes down to it in a few years. Of course, I rather not be thinking of trading Vando but instead would prefer he become our version of OG Anunoby.
there's nothing to talk about, so i'll keep talking about this. i like the signing because it sends a message to our other young players that the organization values the kinds of things he's talking about in that clip as much as scoring. if i'm JHS or max lewis or even christie right now, i'm thinking i can make good money here just by committing to hustling and defending at an elite level. they may not all have vando's physical gifts, but they're all good nba athletes who could find their way into a rotation if they became someone who could chase a steph curry or a devin booker for a full playoff game. and while the bloggers care only about offensive floor spacing, rob cares about other things, too.