There are a lot of positives when it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers and it's shown by their record so far in the season. The Lakers are 17-7 and hold the first place spot in the Pacific Division and a lot of that success is due to the overwhelming offense they've been able to put together. 

Performances by Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James this season have defined the Lakers' performance and have so far made up for any areas that the team has been lacking. However, as the season goes on and the Lakers are challenged by tougher and tougher competition, those flaws will become more glaring without any adjustments.

The biggest flaw that's been looked at for the Lakers has been their defense, which has proved to undo them on the nights that their offense couldn't keep up to close the gap. There may be no one more aware of the Lakers' defensive issues than head coach JJ Redick, and he knows that things have to change for the Lakers to keep competing as the season marches on.

"We’re looking at everything. We've got to be serious about where we are right now.... The continual failure of things has a shelf life and then you've got to make changes," Redick said (via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Still, Redick isn't so sure that those problems can't be fixed in house. The Lakers have a roster at this point that Redick believes can rise to the occasion and he isn't keen on making any radical adjustments at this point to try and change things up.

"I have a belief in the nine guys we've been playing. I have a belief in the rotation," Redick said.

While the Lakers' brand has been built on their nonstop offense, they have players on their roster than may not bring as much to the table offensively, but play crucial roles in shutting down opposing offenses when relied upon. 

The Laker that fits that bill more than anyone else is Jarred Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt's usage has been up and down this season, and he played just three minutes in the Lakers' Sunday win over the Philadelphia 76ers while not appearing at all against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Vanderbilt certainly isn't known for his offensive contributions. He's averaging just 5.8 points per game in his career. But, Vanderbilt's defensive abilities are what make him an asset to the Lakers. 

Defense is certainly what the Lakers need and Redick is open to the possibility of using Vanderbilt more to be use his shut-down abilities. 

"If this continues he'll [Vanderbilt] definitely get his opportunities," Redick said of Vanderbilt.