The biggest story of the last week-plus of the Lakers’ rotation, outside of the short-term injury to Marcus Smart, has been Jarred Vanderbilt.
Once a key piece of a rotation that made the Western Conference Finals, Vando has been on the outside looking in for the last six games. Even in his last appearance, he played just eight minutes in the Lakers’ road win over the Bucks.
But with mixed results from multiple players over the last week, is it time for Vando to move back into the rotation? And who would he step in for?
Well, let’s take a look at who is and is not trusted in the rotation right now.
Starters: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton
Jake LaRavia
It was a rough week for LaRavia, who shot just 29.4% from the field and 25% from the 3-point line over the last week. Technically, that doesn’t even include the Mavs game in which he did not take a shot.
He’s a useful player in a bit of a rut right now, one he can hopefully break out of in this upcoming road trip.
Jaxson Hayes
Hayes has remained relatively steady in his production this season. He’ll finish dunks at the rim and he’ll flourish in that role when the Lakers have a host of ballhandlers available.
This road trip and the upcoming tough schedule in general will also be a test of how well he can hang with the top teams in the league.
Gabe Vincent
This feels about the point where you could make the case for Vando to get minutes. Since his injury, Vincent has scored 24 points across six games, all on 3-pointers as he’s shooting 47.1% on 17 attempts.
The Lakers need shooting and spacing, which is the biggest case for playing Vincent. But his minutes often feel a bit underwhelming.
Maxi Kleber
One of two players who have seen an uptick in minutes lately. Kleber played his way into the rotation after his strong game against the Jazz. However, it has been a downward trend in production and impact since that game.
This spot is definitely the strongest case for inserting Vando back into the lineup. In theory, Kleber is a floor spacer but if can’t hit threes or won’t take them, it negates that aspect of his impact.
Dalton Knecht
With Marcus Smart out — hence his not being included in this week’s article — Knecht has stepped in and had one of his better stretches of the season, even if it’s a far cry from what he was last season.
It’s not been enough to warrant minutes over Smart, but it’s enough to make him the next guard up just outside the rotation when a player is out.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at@JacobRudeor on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.