Jarred Vanderbilt Discussion: The Vandalorian

Vando should have never been taken out of the rotation in the 1st place

 

Seems to have had a more effective play response from him on offense. Scoring randomly a little more in different ways than only from 3s in the corner where he'll never be respected, even if shooting close to 40% on just a few a game, and screens and passing? The D and rebounding has always been good.

 

You have to believe in your core guys and let them play through some things. JJ had no problems doing that with Gabe

 

The Luka whisperer/bodyguard

 

It’s useful having someone watch over Luka and make sure he doesn’t pick up that 16th tech for no reason. We need him in the run up to the playoffs.

I really like Vando. It’s a shame he just doesn’t have one solid offensive talent. If he could be a lob threat or a corner specialist, he’d be getting game time.

 

I'd rather watch him than Laravia at this point

 

I thought LaRavia had a solid night tonight. Probably his best game in a little while. It doesn't scream out on the box score, but he had a few steals, 6 points and a rebound in the second quarter when the team was struggling.

And then in his second run he got a few offensive rebounds and a steal when we couldn't score. Those were valuable possessions he got us.

 

Except the lakers couldn't score when he was in. Offense completely stalled out

 

I didn't watch the game last night, but seems like there was a bit of a blow-up between JJ and Vando.

 

Why do you say this? Anyone else can confirm?

 

There's videos circulating, it wasn't much and not even an altercation. Vando went up to him on a time out (JJ usually goes to the center of the court with the board while players sit), Vando was mad with something and JJ didn't pay him much attention, they exchange a few words and JJ leaves him talking. I think AR got in between at some point just so it didn't escalate.

Then moments later, JJ is sitted in the bench and Vando goes to him again chipping more words, they argue a bit but nothing much, Nate McMillan gets in between and the video ended. As per Andy from Kambrothers, he didn't play after it.

Vando was probably heated with Timme starting. He's been burned by JJ and this was the final straw. I get him, don't think JJ managed him well, he really doesn't like Vando and will never play him consistently. I think it's unfair because Vando always tries hard (one of the problems of this team for years) and yes he has flaws but he's also a top defender in the NBA and a great rebounder. Yes, he is bad defensively but for me it's up to the coach to find a way where he can be passable on offense when he can change games defensively

It is clearly a situation to be resolved in the summer. Won't be easy. He has 2 years more at around 13M with a PO in the last year. Challenge will be to find a team that takes him without a pick attached while getting a rotation player. We may attach one if it's for a starter though, maybe some team bite. Can get us a center while we use cap space to get the 2 starter wings. If we can't get that, we may trade for someone with a longer contract to keep the pick.
I also think Vando can fit well in some teams. He has a low key personality but plays hard and that's sometimes needed in some mid or tanking teams

Trading him can really bump this team though. Him, Gabe and Kleber (and Rui to an extent) were occupying +10M slots while not contributing much on the court. We need to hit on the guys that get those contracts next year


Edit: oh, just saw above that it was actually JJ calling a timeout after the 1st possession on the Q2 to pull Vando out. That's just stupid. JJ loses his temper sometimes. I don't think Vando is the problem of this team and it required this reaction. Ayton and Rui f it up constantly too. It's a team that just lost the season in a game we actively punted. Can't understand this reaction

 

To be fair, JJ benched Ayton for not knowing how to catch a ball and sat Rui for playing soft.

I’m not against tough love, we were missing our best 4 players, so everyone else has to step up with effort.

As for Vando, he isn’t the same defensive menace he was 3-4 years ago. And offensively, he is bad. It’s just not a good fit. If we can I send him to Milwaukee to grease the Giannis trade. They won’t mind taking him on as they won’t be competing for the next half decade if it helps them get a trove of picks and a good young player or two.

 

He’s been in JJ’s doghouse all season. Starting Timme in front of him and benching him in that manner was Vando’s breaking point. I get it. Vando is on the hook for 13 million for the next years. Never understood benching a player and lowering what little trade value he has. Also don’t understand blowing my fuse at players in a game that you had zero chance of winning.

 

It's probably time for a separation this summer, even if we just trade his bad contract for another player on a bad contract that fits a little better. Vando just isn't a good basketball player. Two different Laker coaches and two other franchises before us came to the same conclusion.

 

I’m sorry, but I’ve seen Vando contribute to winning when given proper burn every night.
JJ is just an inexperienced coach who expects every player to be well rounded. Sorry JJ, but often in life, you have to work with what you’ve been given and make the best of it.
We have been, for the majority of the season, one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA and it was JJ’s job to figure out how to use one of our better defenders with the right rotations.
He failed at tempering Luka’s and AR’s minutes as well as building a good defensive identity.
He will improve, but for me, he gets a D for this season.
Of course, we were looking great before Luka and AR went down, but regular season records are meaningless in Lakerland if you run your team into the ground before the playoffs.

 

Back 2 back 50 wins. Ahead of Denver twice if not for this Armageddon post-OKC. Ahead twice on Minnesota, Phoenix, Clippers or Warriors. Ahead of Kerr, Ty Lue, Finch, Malone, Spo, Udoka, Doc, Snyder, etc. Top 5 team in the whole NBA.

All with the big 3 playing together like 15% of the games and multiple games with just one of them.

Grade: D

FFS

 

Well, he did give this caveat, which makes sense:

For example, what grade does Antoni get for the 45 win 2013 season? B or C?

No, clearly it's a big fat F. He destroyed the rest of Kobe's career. Kobe was still 1st team All Star and 5th in MVP voting that year. He could possibly have won 1 more chip at age 34+, but he was basically done for after that.

Back to JJ, I like him a lot. And I have wanted to believe in him more for the past 1.5 years. But he has shown no growth in terms of managing minutes, from last year's playoffs 2nd half no rest for starters fiasco. He ran the Big 3 into the ground, and yes, it is on him for not resting Luka in a game he was showing clear signs of injury or possible injury. Put that aside for a second. There is no way he should have let the Big 3 play the Miami back to back, even if they wanted to. 3rd game in 4 nights, while playing Luka & Austin 40 min/game and old man LeBron 36. He had Austin averaging 40 min/gm for 10 games, leading to his injury. He's managed the Big 3 very poorly, managed Rui and Vando atrociously, and not developed young guys or bench players.

Again - I like him and want to believe in him, and he can win regular season games - but he's been bad.

Back full circle to Vando - Vando is an extremely useful player when used correctly, and he has helped the Lakers in many games. He is overall positive when used correctly, even if he has to be used in a certain way with certain lineups. But to treat him the way that JJ has treated him is just poor management, even if it's management of a bench player. He's an 8th-9th man playing 12-20 min/gm, shoring up our defense and not taking the offense when used correctly.