In a recent NBA Western Conference semifinal matchup, the Oklahoma City Thunder edged past the Los Angeles Lakers with a hard-fought 115-110 victory on the road. With this win, the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep of the Lakers, advancing to the Western Conference Finals. They will now await the winner of the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves for a spot in the NBA Finals. For the Lakers, this defeat marked a disappointing end to their playoff run, as they were swept without a single win. Notably, the Thunder remain undefeated in the postseason, and the 5-point margin was the smallest they have faced so far.
In this game, Lakers backup forward Jarred Vanderbilt, returning from injury, struggled significantly on the court. Playing just 2 minutes and 45 seconds, Vanderbilt failed to score on his only field goal attempt, grabbed just one rebound, and posted a minus-12 plus-minus rating. Offensively, he lacked any scoring ability, missed his shot, and failed to space the floor for his teammates. Defensively, he was unable to make a meaningful impact, and his overall performance was far from effective. Despite his limited minutes, the team’s play visibly deteriorated when he was on the floor, as reflected in his poor plus-minus. Some might argue that if Vanderbilt had played fewer minutes or not at all, the Lakers might have had a better chance to win.
During the 2025-26 NBA regular season, Vanderbilt appeared in 65 of 82 games, averaging 17.3 minutes per game. He posted averages of 4.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks, with 0.9 turnovers and 1.6 fouls. His shooting percentages were 47.1% from the field, 29.3% from three-point range, and 58.9% from the free-throw line. In the playoffs, Vanderbilt played in seven games, averaging 10.7 minutes per contest. His postseason averages dipped to 2.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.3 steals, with 0.1 turnovers and 1.7 fouls. His shooting efficiency also declined to 40.9% overall, 11.1% from beyond the arc, and 33.3% from the charity stripe.
Vanderbilt’s performance in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets was decent, as he provided some value on the defensive end. However, against the Thunder, his limitations became glaring. His defensive prowess was neutralized, while his offensive weaknesses were fully exposed. Compounding the issue, after Vanderbilt suffered a severe finger dislocation in Game 1 of the series, head coach JJ Redick inexplicably inserted him into the rotation for Game 4. Under such circumstances, how could Vanderbilt be expected to perform effectively?
