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As the roster is currently constructed, the Los Angeles Lakers run about eight players deep. A couple of extra guys might get occasional minutes based on the matchup, but, for the most part, JJ Redick seems to prefer an eight-man rotation for key games for the Lakers. By NBA standards, it's a thin rotation that starts to show the seams when it gets pulled even thinner by injuries or, in this case, if Redick loses faith in Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes.
Through two games, Hayes and Vanderbilt are playing less than 20 minutes combined, and their impact has been pretty thoroughly minimized. They're averaging 2.5 points and 4.5 rebounds combined in the series and both players — despite shooting almost all their shots in the paint — are shooting 25% from the field. It's been a dreadful start for two guys the Lakers look to for energy and easy points because opposing teams are often so focused on defending Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Despite how poorly both are playing, however, Redick cannot afford to lose faith in them altogether.
JJ Redick needs to trust them in the Lakers' playoff run
As has been covered at length all over the place, the Lakers' center rotation is barren behind Hayes. Alex Len can no longer get off the floor when he jumps and Maxi Kleber hasn't been healthy for the vast majority of the season. Christian Wood was waived earlier in the year and Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison weren't converted from their two-way contracts. So like it or not (and it's clear Redick falls into the “not” category), the Lakers have to get something from Hayes.
Vanderbilt is a slightly different situation as the Lakers have other wings, but no one else on the roster is blessed with the combination of size and athleticism to hope to defend Anthony Edwards the way Vanderbilt does. His offense has actually backslidden so far that he can barely be trusted on open layups, but he is an effective rebounder and creates such chaos defensively that his minutes can't be slashed altogether.
Some of both Hayes' and Vanderbilt's poor play does come down to usage.
In Hayes' case, he's starting games against Minnesota's bruising combination of Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Any time he's gotten a lob opportunity with the starting group, he's almost always been knocked off his foundation and hasn't been able to elevate the way he's used to. Yes, it obviously makes sense to have Hayes out there when Minnesota is their biggest, but having all his minutes come in those spots and expecting him to overcome that size and physicality isn't exactly putting him in the best situations.
For Vanderbilt, he's spent precious little time actually guarding Edwards, which is the whole point of having him on the roster at all.
That any of Vanderbilt's minutes have come when Edwards isn't on the court is bad process in and of itself. All he does in those minutes is gum up the Lakers' offense while his defensive energy is mostly wasted off the ball. The result has been this weird Isaiah Stewart impersonation that just hasn't landed.
NBA.com's matchup tracking data isn't always accurate, so take this with a grain of salt, but according to their numbers, Vanderbilt has spent all of 28 seconds on Edwards. It's probably actually higher than that, but not by much, and not enough to feel as if the Lakers are getting their money's worth from Vanderbilt.
The problem is, by the time Vanderbilt is getting ready to enter the game, Edwards is often getting his first break. Then, in the rare instance the two do share the court, either Vanderbilt just isn't matched up against Edwards for whatever reason, or he is, but the Lakers' switching defense allows Edwards to hunt a better matchup.
Ironically, Hayes' and Vanderbilt's problems are linked because they play a lot of their minutes at the same position. Hayes' tough matchup at the start leads to Vanderbilt's awkward matchup when he subs in. It's too early to freak out and start Vanderbilt in Hayes' place, but Redick is going to need to find a way to align Vanderbilt's shifts with Edwards and get Hayes in some spots where the key isn't so clogged.
Both Vanderbilt and Hayes have things to offer for the Lakers
End of the day, both players have something to offer in a series that is going to come down to the margins.
Hayes is a decent lob threat and rim runner who can capitalize on the defense's attention elsewhere. He's a little too emotional and prone to some mental mistakes as a result, but if the can is simplified down as much as it can be for him, Hayes serves a purpose.
Vanderbilt is a pest on defense, creates possessions through activity on the offensive glass, and is always (and sometimes a little too) willing to meet or exceed the other team's physicality. Combine that with the work he can do on Edward,s and it is hurting the Lakers that he hasn't made any impact on this series quite yet.
Yes, in the offseason, the Lakers will be looking to improve from both players either internally or externally, but that isn't an option right now. As much as Redick would perhaps like to trim down the rotation even further and rely on the six guys (Doncic, James, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent) he actually trusts, that's just not a sustainable approach without risking wearing guys out.
Hayes and Vanderbilt are also two of the Lakers' best athletes, and, in a series against one of the NBA's most athletic and physical teams, the Lakers have zero chance at matching up without Hayes and Vanderbilt playing more active roles than they have so far.
Now, the series shifts back to Minnesota, where the Target Center is going to be absolutely raucous as it senses a real chance at knocking off the darling city that took their team decades ago. Illegal screens with be set. Cheap shots will be thrown. Loose balls will go to whichever team is willing to sacrifice their bodies to get them. This is where Hayes and Vanderbilt will matter, so long as Redick finds better ways to utilize them.
