Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has long been known for his defensive prowess. He can lock down opposing guards with his length and tenacious energy. However, the reason he has yet to find himself as a legitimate nightly contributor for winning teams is because of his offensive deficiencies, something new Laker Jake LaRavia took notice of in years prior.
Vanderbilt is a career 28.8% shooter from beyond the arc. He has shot over 30% in a full season exactly once, and it was the season the Lakers acquired him via trade from the Utah Jazz. That was his best season both in terms of offensive and defensive advanced metrics, as with higher shooting percentages came more playing time and greater impact.
LaRavia spoke about the difference in the player he used to scout for on opposing teams versus the player he sees now, and the strides Vanderbilt has made as a shooter.
“Yeah, I mean it’s gotten much better,” LaRavia said of Vanderbilt’s shooting. “I know early on in my career, we didn’t respect him as a shooter. But fair to see that he can shoot the ball very well now. He’s been hitting shots. I don’t know if he tweaked something, but yeah it looks really good now and it’s going in.”
The Lakers would obviously love to have Vanderbilt become at least a threat to shoot the ball. If he can shoot at above 30% from beyond the arc, he becomes an infinitely more valuable player to the Lakers, and someone who could legitimately play 20 or more minutes per game.
However, training camp reports have a tendency to inflate what a player can do. So while Vanderbilt may look like a better shooter right now than what LaRavia has seen in the past, it would still need to be proven in NBA regular season action to be believed.
Jake LaRavia impressed with Lakers training camp
Training camp is officially underway and the Lakers are hopeful that they have put together a roster that can compete with the best in the NBA. One of the most important additions they made this offseason was Jake LaRavia, a former first-round pick who is anxious to get a real opportunity for a consistent role on a team for the first time in his young career.
He will certainly be one of the players to keep an eye on, but the Lakers as a whole will need to come together during training camp and preseason in order to get off to a strong start once the games begin. And so far, LaRavia believes they are doing that in their first few practices.
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