Vanderbilt s offense is a black hole in space! But Ayton saved him

In the 24-25 season, Vanderbilt played 36 games, averaging 16.1 minutes per game, scoring 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1 steal, shooting 48.8% from the field, 28.1% from three-point range, and 55.6% from free throws.

In the offseason, Vanderbilt worked intensively on catching three-pointers and his ability to attack the basket in pick-and-roll situations. This is his shortcoming. Although Vanderbilt has excellent defensive capabilities, he is a black hole in space on the offensive end. Opponents often choose to leave him open, freeing up a defender to double-team the ball carrier. So, it's a mixed bag for the Lakers when Vanderbilt is on the court.

In the first game of the regular season, Vanderbilt came off the bench for only 11 minutes and made 0 of 4 shots, including 0 of 2 three-pointers. He did not score, only grabbed 3 backcourt rebounds, and made 2 turnovers. Doncic scored 43 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists, but still couldn't help the Lakers defeat the Warriors. The big reason was that the Lakers had no space and made 8 of 32 three-pointers in the game.

However, the Lakers quickly made adjustments. In the second game, they made 12 of 29 shots from beyond the three-point line, shooting 41.4% from three-point range. This change, in my opinion, is due to the new aid Ayton. The addition of Ayton makes the Lakers' 15 pick-and-roll a very big threat. A pick-and-roll can be transformed into many tactics based on defense.

It is precisely because the Lakers use Ayton as the central axis of their offense to hide Vanderbilt's black hole. Whether it's Doncic or Reeves, they are both players with strong personal offensive abilities. With the help of a flexible mid-range shot like Ayton, the Lakers can do a lot of pick-and-roll and ball-splitting tactics to fully open up the space.

Next, let’s take the Lakers’ game against the Timberwolves as an example to see how Ayton saved Vanderbilt.

The Lakers continued the starting lineup from the last game against the Trail Blazers: Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Reeves, Laravia. This lineup has good size and speed, and can handle both large and small opponent lineups.

On the offensive end, because Hachimura, Reeves and Laravia can all shoot three-pointers, and Ayton has a shooting threat from the free throw line, there is a lot of space. (Rui Hachimura's three-point shooting percentage is 40%, Reeves 39%, Laravia 50%, and Ayton's shooting percentage is 62%)

Ayton's position is always on the central axis. He is like a nail, making the Timberwolves' zone defense uncomfortable. His downward movement can attract defenders near the penalty area.

Reeves and Ayton's 15 pick-and-rolls directly shattered the Timberwolves' defensive system. Laravia from the outside hit a three-pointer with open hands. Let's take a look back at the Lakers' attack. Ayton Reeves picked and rolled at the top of the arc. At the same time, Hachimura slipped from the baseline to the strong side corner, Vanderbilt moved to the ghost position, and Laravia mentioned the wing connection in the weak side corner. The tactics started

Even if the lineup on the field became Knecht and Browne These two non-space points, but Ayton can still launch an attack at the free throw line and use his personal ability to score points.

In this way, the Lakers' offense is not afraid that Vanderbilt is a black hole. On the offensive end, Vanderbilt only needs to run back and forth on the baseline, pull the defense, and wait for the ghost position to catch the ball and attack.

On the defensive end, Vanderbilt and Ayton can support defenders and check for deficiencies.

More importantly, when Ayton is on the court, Vanderbilt protects offensive rebounds better. Because Ayton can pull Gobert or Reed near the free throw line,

Even when he sinks to the basket, Ayton can trap Gobert, and Vanderbilt can use his rebounding ability to collect the rebound,

In this game, Vanderbilt made 1 of 3 shots and 1 of 2 free throws, scoring 3 points, but grabbed 12 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal, with a plus-minus of +4.

He didn't just play well in this game. According to statistics, Vanderbilt's statistics in the last four games are as follows:

played 19.6 minutes, scored 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks;

played 26.9 minutes, scored 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals;

played 28. 0 minutes, 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals;

played 26.4 minutes, scored 3 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal;

averaged 25.2 minutes per game, 7.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals. Isn't Vanderbilt like this very good? It was originally an offensive black hole, but because of the addition of Ayton, the Lakers' offensive system has been enriched and Vanderbilt has been hidden. Although some offensive rounds still drag down space, it has been greatly improved.

Of course, Vanderbilt still needs to continue to improve his three-point shooting. At least he must get back the feel of the three-pointer from the corner without being too hindered. The success rate of finishing near the basket must also be improved to reduce mistakes, so that he can stay on the court longer.