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13-Year NBA Veteran Points Out Lakers Player Who 'Cost' Team in Playoffs

There's a lot of blame being thrown around about the Los Angeles Lakers' early exit from the playoffs.

Colby Faria

Apr 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2), forward LeBron James (23), forward Rui Hachimura (28), center Jaxson Hayes (11), and Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) celebrate after scoring against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Apr 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2), forward LeBron James (23), forward Rui Hachimura (28), center Jaxson Hayes (11), and Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) celebrate after scoring against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Lakers' season came to a disappointing end when they were sent packing in just five games to the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference's first-round.

Despite dropping the series in five games, the Lakers were in all four of their losses but ultimately succumbed to a career-game from Timberwolves big man, Rudy Gobert, who scored 27 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in the 103-96 Game 5 victory.

Former Memphis Grizzlies star and 13-year NBA veteran, Gilbert Arenas, delved into what went wrong with the Lakers' early playoff exit and echoed what many are saying is the reason LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and co. are headed to an early vacation...the lack of a true center.

"I don't think they really thought they could win this year, they're going to try and load up for next year," Arenas said of the Lakers' off-season plans. "If you were trying to win this year, knowing that this was going to be a small-ball team, you would've kept Mark [Williams]."

Arenas would then point out Jarred Vanderbilt as one of the players who hurt the Lakers the most in their series against the Timberwolves, citing his smaller frame being the reason he missed layups and dunks when matching up against true centers in Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.

"The one position that hurt us and I don't want to point him out, but I'm going to have to, and he was wide open so much as a lay up but because he's little, he missed a lot of shots and missed out on a lot of points was Vando, especially in the dunker spot. In the dunker's spot, they dumped it off to him and it's not like he's got a 40 inch vertical, he's going to get blocked or he's going to miss a layup."

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt
Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) controls the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Rob Pelinka and J.J. Reddick have major decisions to make this off-season. The Lakers face the potential retirement of LeBron James, as well as needing to build the roster around their new face of the franchise in Luka Doncic.

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Colby Faria
COLBY FARIA

Colby’s decade-plus sports writing experience spans across the likes of various sports, which includes bylines at the likes of CBS and Bleacher Report.

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