The defensive gate of the Zhanmei era, but it is difficult for Doncic to adapt to the system? What happened to Fan Debiao?

When talking about Lakers recently, I can’t avoid Van Debiao - the man who was once praised as a "defensive gate" by Zhan Mei, has now become an embarrassing character on the court?

Look at the data first: In the regular season this season, Van Debiao played 36 games, averaging 16.1 minutes per game, 4.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1 steal, 0.3 caps, 48.8% of the shooting, 28.1% of three-pointers, and 55.6% of free throws; it was even worse in the playoffs, attending all 5 games, averaging 12 minutes per game, 1.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.6 steals, 0.2 caps, 33.3% of the shooting, 3 point shots simply failed, and 75% of the free throws.

This data is not outrageous for ordinary role players, but the problem is - he is getting a four-year, 48 million contract! I just signed last season, and the fourth year is still a player option. The Lakers have to figure out whether it is worth it if they want to trade now.

Having said that, Fan Debiao was not like this when he was under Zhan Mei. At that time, the Lakers' offensive core was James and Davis, and their jobs in the penalty area and the middle were basically covered by these two giants. Fan Debiao's positioning is very clear: the outside leader, the defensive rotation sweeping, and rebounding. He is 2.03 meters tall and looks like an inside line, but in fact he looks more like a "large wing" - his frame protection ability is average, but he runs and jumps actively, rebounds fiercely, and his real positive and negative defense values ​​can rank in the top 19 in the same position. This is simply a "hot commodity" in the era of Zhan Mei.

But when Doncic comes, everything changes.

What is Doncic's offensive system? I like to plug opportunities into the middle and the penalty area, creating a lot of space for character players to attack in dislocation. Why can players like Hayes be activated? Because they can convert Doncic's ball into scores. But what about Van Debiao? On the offensive end, he is the main person who "does less mistakes" - let him be an outside player. Although it takes up some space, the Lakers can reduce his offensive role; but once it is pushed to the inside, all the problems are exposed: the end of the basket is soft, the pick-and-roll is no threat, and the mid-range shooting is basically based on misunderstanding.

For example, when the Lakers played in a small ball lineup this season, Van Debiao was pushed to the inside. What was the result? His true positive and negative value on the offensive end is directly -2.5, and the team's score in a hundred rounds can be reduced by 12.6 points. This is not a helping hand, it is simply a "drag" approach.

Compare his "Brother and Brother" Bacun - this guy is slow on the defensive end and is average in the frame protection, but he can take a medium distance and cut in the offensive end. In the era of James, Davis had eaten all the offensive opportunities, and Bacun could only be a corner shooter, and his characteristics were crushed to death. When Doncic came, Davis's former role was gone, and Bacun became the "opportunity taker", and he could even play as a small ball center in the small sample.

To put it bluntly, Fan Debiao's problem is essentially "system misalignment" - he is a defensive wing that needs less attacks, but he was pushed to the inside position of "need more balls". It’s not that he can’t do it, it’s that he’s placed the wrong position.

Of course, injuries also cheated him. In the past two years, he has either surgery or recovery during the offseason. He finally has been able to train healthily this year. He himself said: "I haven't practiced well for two years. I must make up for the offensive shortcomings this summer. "But the question is, can the Lakers afford to wait?

The Lakers are short of players in the center position and the forward line needs 3D. Van Debiao's 48 million contract is indeed a bit "tastingless". But from another perspective, if the Lakers could get a mobile center and free Van Debiao back to the wing, his defense and rebounds might shine again.

In fact, Fan Debiao's story is not just about him. In the NBA, no matter how strong a player is, he has to rely on the system to make a living - James can make him successful, and Doncic can also limit him. What the Lakers need to solve is not only Fan Debiao’s problem, but also the difficulty of how to truly integrate role players and the new core system.

After all, superstars can determine the upper limit, but the adaptability of role players is the "invisible threshold" on the road to championship.