The forward s playing time has been limited, otherwise the Lakers might have won more easily?

In the previous NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers relied on Austin Reaves' buzzer-beater to narrowly defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves at home 116-115. After this game, the Lakers' record improved to 3 wins and 2 losses; while the Timberwolves' record, which suffered two consecutive losses, dropped to 2 wins and 2 losses.

In this game, the Lakers' starting forward Jarred Vanderbilt's performance was still very eye-catching. Vanderbilt played 26 minutes and 26 seconds, making 1 of 3 shots, 0 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 1 of 2 free throws. He scored 3 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal, including 6 offensive rebounds, 4 turnovers, and 4 fouls, with a plus-minus of +4. Vanderbilt's performance on the defensive end is still outstanding, and his defensive ability's role in the team is also visible to the naked eye. His enthusiasm in fighting for rebounds in the front and backcourt and his game attitude are also worthy of recognition. In addition, Vanderbilt can also play a certain role on the offensive end, and his contribution in passing and support is also quite outstanding. It's just that the Lakers still took his injury into consideration and controlled his playing time. This is also an important factor why his data cannot improve further. It is no exaggeration to say that considering the team's situation when Vanderbilt is on the court, if he can play more minutes, the Lakers may also win more easily.

In the NBA regular season last season, Vanderbilt was affected by injuries and only played 36 times in 82 games, averaging 16.1 minutes per game. The data were 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1 steal, 0.3 blocks, 0.8 turnovers and 1.9 fouls. The shooting percentage was 48.8%, the three-point shooting percentage was 28.1%, and the free throw percentage was 55.6%. In the playoffs, Vanderbilt played a total of 5 times, averaging 12 minutes per game. He averaged 1.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also had 0.6 turnovers and 1.8 fouls. He shot 33.3% from the field, 0% from three-point range, and 75% from the free throw line. Since the start of this season, Vanderbilt has averaged 22.6 minutes per game in the first 5 games, averaging 5.6 points, 7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. There are also 2.2 turnovers and 2 fouls. The shooting rate is 40%, the three-point shooting rate is 0%, and the free throw shooting rate is 80%.

Vanderbilt's performance so far this season has improved a lot compared to last season. Although he still has not shown an improvement in outside shooting ability on the offensive end, his performance in passing and support is still good. His role in rebounding in the front and backcourt is also very prominent, and he has maintained a high enough intensity on the defensive end. The Lakers' ability to achieve such a record despite being short of major generals is closely related to Vanderbilt's strong output. With the return of core players, I believe Vanderbilt's importance to the team will become more prominent.