After spending more of last season nursing a knee injury, can Gabe Vincent bounce back this year and make good on the contract the Lakers gave him?
Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every week day, breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we take a look at Gabe Vincent.
Gabe Vincent was one of the most disappointing signings for the Lakers last season simply because he spent more time rehabbing from a left knee injury than playing on the court. The 28-year-old guard missed 71 regular season games, which turned out to be detrimental for both his value and for the Lakers on the court.
The purple and gold sorely missed Vincent’s perimeter defense and scoring for most of last season. Coming off a superb playoff run with the Miami Heat where he averaged 12.7 points on 37.8% three-point shooting, the 6’3 guard was supposed to fill the void that Dennis Schröder left.
Instead, Vincent’s own absence needed to be addressed by signing Spencer Dinwiddie.
Vincent, who is entering the second season of his three-year contract, now has to bounce back this season to redeem his value. Aside from staying healthy, the California native has to prove that he was worth the gamble and patience the Lakers have shown him over the last year.
What is his best-case scenario?
The best case scenario for Vincent is if he becomes a consistent quality role player and a difference maker. Remember, he can offer certain skillsets to the table that most of the current Lakers guard can’t, like his on-ball defense. Vincent should be the team’s scrappiest and best perimeter defender.
The key for Vincent to stand out is to be a reliable two-way player, similar to how he was during his four-year tenure with the Heat. The undrafted guard can start by shooting better this coming season, especially since he struggled from behind the arc last year, converting just three of his 28 long-range attempts (10.7%).
It would be ideal if Vincent could contribute at least 10 points per game, which would go a long way compared to his 3.1 average in 11 regular season games last season. He will have an individually successful year if he thrives under JJ Redick’s motion offense and becomes a key player off the bench.
Hopefully, by the end of the season, Vincent will be praised for taking on the tough defensive assignments and being the team’s glue guy.
What is his worst-case scenario?
There’s nothing worse than Vincent going through another injury-riddled season, which would only fuel the fans referring to him as Kendrick Nunn 2.0. But thankfully, Vincent is reportedly expected to be healthy to start the year, so that is good news.
What will be bad news for the Lakers is if the guard carries over his inconsistencies from last season. When Vincent was healthy for those 16 games, including the playoffs, it was difficult to predict what the Lakers would get from him daily. Granted, that had much to do with him being out of rhythm. Still, it would be a disaster for Vincent if he’s once again a non-factor and, frankly, a wasted roster spot.
What is his most likely role on the team?
While Redick has yet to hint at what the Lakers’ starting lineup will be, it’s fair to assume that Vincent will most likely be coming off the bench. This time, he won’t be competing for minutes with Dinwiddie as he did towards the latter part of the season, so there’s more opportunity for Vincent to truly earn a consistent role and minutes.
Given Redick’s plans to modernize the Lakers’ offense, Vincent will most likely be tasked to shoot, handle the ball and play within the system — all of which he did quite well on the Heat. On top of that, the undrafted guard will also be heavily relied on the defensive side of the ball, specifically on the perimeter, where he needs to thrive if he wants to contribute to winning basketball.
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