This is the team s 8th man? Since his ability is limited, why do the Lakers want him to enter the rotation lineup?

In a previous NBA playoff game, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who played at home, made a strong effort in the final quarter and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 116-113 again. After this game, the Timberwolves had already widened the total score of the series to 3-1, and won the match point of this round of series; while the Lakers were on the verge of being eliminated.

In this game, the Lakers' substitute backcourt player Jordan Goodwin still performed at a sloppy level. Goodwin played 7 minutes and 11 seconds in the game, made 0 of 2 shots, 0 of 1 from outside the three-point line, did not score 1 point in the game, contributed only 2 rebounds and 1 assist, and had 3 fouls, with a plus-negative value of +1. Goodwin still did not show enough competitiveness on the offensive end, his scoring ability is still seriously insufficient, and he is unable to play his value, which still drags down the team's space. Goodwin's performance on the defensive end is actually not particularly outstanding, or he is not a player with outstanding defensive ability. It is also an unrealistic thing to expect him to take on more responsibilities on the defensive end and to realize greater value. Therefore, Goodwin did not get any playing time in the second half, which also shows that the team does not recognize his ability and his role on the court.

Since joining the Lakers, Goodwin has played 29 games for the team, averaging 18.7 minutes per game, with averaging 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 blocks, and 0.9 turnovers and 1.5 fouls. His shooting percentage is 43.8%, three-point shooting percentage is 38.2%, and free throw shooting percentage is 81.8%. So far in the playoffs, Goodwin averaged 7.8 minutes in the first four games, with averaging 0.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks, 0.3 turnovers and 1.8 fouls, shooting percentage of 20%, three-point shooting percentage of 0%, and free throw shooting percentage of 50%.

Goodwin is actually a player with limited abilities. He has been in the NBA for several seasons and has not performed well. He had only had a two-way contract from the Lakers before. As a result, Goodwin was able to secure a rotational position in the Lakers and get a lot of playing time, which is beyond everyone's expectations and imagination. For the Lakers, they might really think too simple about the team's rotation and playoffs. Under normal circumstances, the team's 8th or 9th player must be a player who has earned a salary of tens of millions and has proved his strength. As a result, when they arrived at the Lakers, they allowed such a player who had just become a regular on a two-way contract to get so much playing time. In the playoffs, it is not only the ability of core players, but also the contribution of bench players. Obviously, the Timberwolves' second lineup is far more competitive than the Lakers, which is also an important factor in their ability to gain an advantage.