{"id":88343,"date":"2024-08-01T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=88343"},"modified":"2024-08-01T02:21:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T06:21:42","slug":"lakers-key-goals-for-next-season-revealed-jarred-vanderbilt-gabe-vincent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/01\/lakers-key-goals-for-next-season-revealed-jarred-vanderbilt-gabe-vincent\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Key Goals for Next Season Revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite a <\/span>lack of additions in free agency<\/span><\/a>, the Lakers have remained aggressive and optimistic about their standing this season. Now, the team has reportedly doubled down on its belief in continuity, hoping that both rookies and returners can make a sizable impact in the rotation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers Key Goals for Next Season Revealed<\/b><\/h2>\n

Background<\/b><\/h3>\n

According to a <\/span>report from The Athletic\u2019s Jovan Buha<\/span><\/a>, the Lakers have not stopped seeking out potential trades, but have also recognized that the best plan may be to run it back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>As things stand, the Lakers are preaching patience that the right trade will eventually materialize while betting that healthier versions of <\/span>Jarred Vanderbilt<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Gabe Vincent<\/span><\/a>, the addition of Knecht and the promotion of Christie into the rotation will shore up the group\u2019s perimeter defense, athleticism and shooting.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Both <\/span>Jarred Vanderbilt<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Gabe Vincent<\/span><\/a> were expected to play major rotational roles last season. However, injuries prevented them from showing their true value to the team. Vanderbilt missed the first month of action with a heel injury sustained in preseason play. He went on to play 29 games before being <\/span>shut down due to left heel bursitis<\/span><\/a>, averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Vincent, a notable offseason signing last summer, was supposed to be the Lakers\u2019 primary ball handler off the bench and, eventually, a key playoff performer. He ended up playing a mere 11 games\u2014and struggling mightily\u2014before <\/span>undergoing knee surgery in December<\/span><\/a>, On the season, he put up 3.1 points and 1.9 assists per game on meager .306\/.107\/.500 splits\u2014a very far cry from the postseason hero he became for the Heat last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, guard <\/span>Max Christie<\/span><\/a> showed flashes of potential last season, and his <\/span>development<\/span><\/a> this summer has fans continuing to believe in him. And the Lakers\u2019 two rookies\u2014<\/span>Dalton Knecht<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Bronny James<\/span><\/a>\u2014project to play decent roles in the team\u2019s rotation next season, bringing vital skills on both ends of the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers Betting on Themselves: Formula for Success?<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Lakers have heard all the talk about surrounding LeBron James<\/a> and Anthony Davis<\/a> with a bevy of talented role players\u2014mainly through trades or free agency. But it seems to Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka that the answer is right in front of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The team clearly believes that head coach <\/span>JJ Redick<\/span><\/a> and his experienced staff could maximize not only the team\u2019s two stars but the players around them as well. Redick has previously talked at length about Dalton and Bronny, and how they\u2019ll be integral parts of the new player development culture. Christie already discussed how he has grown<\/a> in terms of off-ball movement, defense, and close-outs, telling The Athletic:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The point you want to get to is, you put so many repetitions in that your body\u2019s just out there flowing. For me, and I think this happened my first two years too, I noticed on film every time I\u2019m thinking, even if I look like I\u2019m thinking, that\u2019s when you get slow, clunky<\/span> mistakes. But for me, whenever I\u2019m free-flowing and the ball comes and I make my read natural \u2026 that\u2019s when I\u2019m at my best.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Getting Vando and Vincent Healthy Again<\/b><\/h4>\n

For starters, the Lakers are right to wait and see how Vanderbilt and Vincent look before making changes that could impact their roles. Priority no. 1 is getting them to 100% after missing their skills for far too long. Vanderbilt previously made a key impact with his defensive versatility and scoring in the paint. Vincent\u2014despite his flaws\u2014emerged as a solid facilitator and, in an ideal world, would’ve served as their point-of-attack defender. With months of recovery under their belts\u2014and barring any setbacks\u2014the duo should be ready to go when training camp comes. Their performances there will be a good indicator of where they stand after significant time away from the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Young Guys<\/b><\/h4>\n

As for the younger players, it\u2019s laudable that all three will get the chance to show off their growth immediately. Christie will finally get the moment he\u2019s waited two years for, while Knecht and James Jr. may start their careers with the big club instead of in the G League. All of them live up to the team\u2019s aforementioned hopes. They are each able to guard on the perimeter while ensuring opponents respect them with their shooting and athleticism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to the veteran-heavy Laker teams of the past few years, this year\u2019s squad looks different with some more youngsters than vets. While some see that as a curse to their championship hopes, others may find that to be a blessing. The Lakers can\u2019t just go out giving up on draft picks in exchange for older talent year after year. Giving Christie, Knecht and James Jr. well-deserved opportunities is a huge step towards their growth, especially considering they\u2019ll likely bridge the gap between the Lakers\u2019 present and future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does This Mean No More Trades?<\/b><\/h3>\n

While the Lakers\u2019 goals of internal improvement are reasonable, there will always be the expectation of swinging for a third star (or a star role player). The rumor mills surrounding Portland\u2019s <\/span>Jerami Grant<\/span><\/a> or Orlando\u2019s <\/span>Wendell Carter Jr.<\/span><\/a> have stopped spinning, so fans can keep their jersey swaps of those players to themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding to that doubt is the status of LA\u2019s main trade chips. With <\/span>Rui Hachimura<\/span><\/a> playing remarkably well for Japan in the 2024 Olympics, many have been reluctant to trade the 26-year-old. Conversely, <\/span>D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/span><\/a>\u2014who most fans are willing to part with\u2014has once again drawn little trade interest from across the league, despite the team\u2019s numerous attempts to move on from him.<\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, the Lakers are in a lose-lose situation trade-wise and have nothing to offer remaining free agents. That makes the prospect of running it back all but certain at this point, a reality fans will have to accept for now.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite a lack of additions in free agency, the Lakers have remained aggressive and optimistic about their standing this season. Now, the team has reportedly doubled down on its belief in continuity, hoping that both rookies and returners can make a sizable impact in the rotation. Lakers Key Goals for Next Season Revealed Background According […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":86482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,26,62],"tags":[240,4572,49212,4921,2941,1628,38,4916,1595],"class_list":["post-88343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-nba","tag-anthony-davis","tag-bronny-james","tag-dalton-knecht","tag-gabe-vincent","tag-jarred-vanderbilt","tag-jerami-grant","tag-lebron-james","tag-max-christie","tag-wendell-carter-jr"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}