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LOS ANGELES – Gabe Vincent's first season with the Los Angeles Lakers didn't quite go as planned. He spent most of the 2023-24 season battling a knee injury that limited him to only 11 games. But he's healthy now and has already earned the trust of Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
During the Lakers' 123-116 comeback win against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, Vincent played major minutes in the fourth quarter and helped close the game out. Following the win, Redick spoke about the impact that Vincent has in games and why he's quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff.
“I'll say this 20 times throughout the season, he's the same guy every day. He's so easy to coach. He cares, his care factor is through the roof. He's a pro's pro. You know exactly what he is every single day,” JJ Redick said. He's going to have a lot of nights where he really impacts the game. And it may not be in the box score. That's just who he is. . .he's a guy you want on your team. He's a guy you want in the trenches with you.”
Vincent's final stat line against the Suns may not have jumped off the box score; he finished with five points, two rebounds and three steals in 25 minutes, but his impact was clearly felt.
He was a steady presence on the court, giving the Lakers another ball-handler who ran the offense and kept the ball moving. He was a pest defensively. He also hit a big three-point shot late in the third quarter that put the Lakers ahead, 82-81. His final points of the game came late in the fourth quarter off a pass from LeBron James to keep the Suns at bay.
Gabe Vincent's role with the Lakers
Gabe Vincent originally signed with the Lakers as a free agent during the 2023 offseason. He was coming off a Finals run with the Miami Heat as the team's starting point guard. But he suffered a knee injury during preseason and ended up opting for surgery. While he returned in time for the playoffs, he just wasn't able to make an impact.
But this season is different. Vincent is healthy and has already endeared himself to the coaching staff. And he showed he's capable of closing games out if necessary. Following the Lakers' win against the Suns, Vincent spoke about what he's seen so far from Redick's offensive system.
“I think we've made a concerted effort to be unselfish. I think we have a lot of talent on this team and a lot of guys that can go make tough shots and be tough shot-makers,” Vincent said. “And when we do move it, it just makes it a lot more difficult for the defense to guard. . .the offense has been great. We execute, it looks wonderful. We get good looks.”
Undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara, Vincent spent the first four seasons of his career with the Heat. He started all 22 playoff games for Miami during their 2023 NBA Finals run.
Through the Lakers' first two games of the 2024-25 season, he's averaging 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the three-point line.
