When forward Jarred Vanderbilt arrived in February’s Russell Westbrook trade, plenty of fans assumed he was merely a throw-in for the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Vanderbilt quickly showed he was a very nice piece for a team that badly needed a player of his ilk.
He became a defensive specialist who could guard players at multiple positions, including small guards such as the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant. As a result, Vanderbilt quickly became a fan favorite in Los Angeles.
Later in the playoffs, however, he was exposed as something of an offensive liability, which reduced his playing time. But he says he’s looking forward to improving his skills and becoming a better player.
Via Lakers Nation:
“Summer time I’m always looking forward to looking for ways to improve my game on both ends of the floor. I think for me personally that’ll be the next … the matter of me taking that next step, that next level. Not only for regular season but for playoffs as well. I’m super excited to have a full summer here with this organization getting to work with these guys. Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
At the very least, Vanderbilt has to develop a passable 3-point shot. He made just 32.2% of such attempts in the regular season, and that figure dropped to 24.1% in the playoffs. Opposing teams simply left him open in the corners, which led to a congested lane for the Lakers.
He doesn’t need to become a great 3-point shooter, but an accuracy of around 35-36 percent from downtown should at least somewhat dissuade opposing defenses from leaving him to help on his teammates.