The role of the defensive end is very obvious! The performance of the Lakers front line against the old club was quite outstanding?

In the previous NBA regular season, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder once again defeated the Indiana Pacers at home 141-135 after a hard-fought double overtime. After this game, the Thunder won two consecutive games since the start of the new season, with a current record of 2 wins and 0 losses, while the Pacers suffered their first loss since the start of the new season, with a current record of 0 wins and 1 loss.

In this game, the Lakers' substitute striker Jarred Vanderbilt performed very well against his old club, the Timberwolves. Vanderbilt played 19 minutes and 36 seconds, making 0 of 2 shots, 0 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He also had 1 turnover and 2 fouls, with a plus-minus of +12. Vanderbilt's role on the offensive end is still very limited, his scoring ability has not been fully utilized, and he still does not seem to have made progress in outside shooting. However, Vanderbilt's performance on the defensive end can be considered very outstanding. He showed super personal defensive ability. He was able to create huge pressure on his opponents, and it did have a very good effect. Not only that, Vanderbilt can also play a certain role in rebound protection. Overall, Vanderbilt's performance in this game is worthy of recognition, and he also made a considerable contribution to the team's victory.

In the NBA regular season last season, Vanderbilt was affected by injuries and only played 36 times in 82 games, averaging 16.1 minutes per game. The data were 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1 steal, 0.3 blocks, 0.8 turnovers and 1.9 fouls. The shooting percentage was 48.8%, the three-point shooting percentage was 28.1%, and the free throw percentage was 55.6%. In the playoffs, Vanderbilt played a total of 5 times, averaging 12 minutes per game. He averaged 1.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also had 0.6 turnovers and 1.8 fouls. He shot 33.3% from the field, 0% from three-point range, and 75% from the free throw line. In the previous opener when the team lost to the Golden State Warriors, Vanderbilt made 0 of 4 shots and 0 of 2 from beyond the three-point line in 11 minutes and 56 seconds of playing time. He did not score 1 point in the game and only contributed 3 rebounds and 1 steal. He also made 2 turnovers and had a plus-minus of -4.

Vanderbilt doesn't look particularly suited to playing extended minutes in every game. For example, in the previous game against the Warriors, his effect on the court was not ideal. His shortcomings on the offensive end were also amplified, and his role on the defensive end was not fully utilized. However, in this game, the situation also changed significantly. Vanderbilt's strong performance on the defensive end did directly affect the situation of the game. Next, we can also look at how the Lakers can effectively use Vanderbilt and help him realize his value without substantial improvement in his scoring ability.