One of the hottest topics in L.A. right now is who the Los Angeles Lakers' starting point guard will be in 2023-24 after they signed Miami Heat standout Gabe Vincent in free agency and brought back former second overall pick D'Angelo Russell while letting veteran guard Dennis Schroder head to the Toronto Raptors.

As of this writing, the presumed starter ahead of NBA training camp — which is set to begin in just a few weeks — is Russell.

With the 2023 trade deadline looming, the Lakers opted to acquire Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves over options like veteran Mike Conley, in part due to the well-traveled point guard's youth. Just 27-years-old, Russell is in the proverbial prime of his career — the time in which his physical abilities, mental sharpness, and basketball skill are all peaking. However, even that didn't stop Russell from looking out of sorts with his new team due to both injuries and uncertainty.

His performance in the 2023 NBA Playoffs was up-and-down. Russell often wasn't aggressive enough with the ball in his hands and, then when he did decide to be in attack-mode, was often too inefficient. 13.3 points per game on42.6 percent shooting from the field and 31.0 percent shooting from 3 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs reflects that.

Ultimately, the postseason left acrid taste in the mouth of many, and reinforcements were brought in to fortify a long-troubled position.

Breaking down the Lakers' position battle

The case for Gabe Vincent

When the Los Angeles Lakers made the decision to sign Gabe Vincent to a three-year, $33 million contract in free agency, it signaled to the wider NBA world — but more specifically to his future teammates — that they viewed him as a starting-caliber component in their championship configuration.

An on-and-off starter for the Miami Heat over the past two seasons, Vincent's magnum opus to this point in his career has been his play during the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 0.9 steals in 30.5 minutes per game, Vincent started in every game that he played as the Heat fought their way to the 2023 NBA Finals.

Athletic with great size for his position at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Vincent utilizes great anticipation skills and lateral movement on his defensive end to hound opposing backcourt players, forcing them into a bevy of tough shots. Though he isn't quite a Gary Payton-level defender, his premium skill coming at a position where most players skills are bent towards offensive excellence is just the type of kryptonite the Lakers could use in a conference that has a bevy of star guards.

Vincent may also remind the Lakers of Alex Caruso, who played 24.8 minutes per game for L.A. during the 2020 NBA Finals.

Caruso wasn't a starter, playing behind veteran floor general Rajon Rondo largely due to the team's desire to get LeBron James easy points off ball. However, the Lakers' teams that Caruso played on didn't have a two-guard with the playmaking upside of presumptive starter Austin Reaves, but a 3-and-D specialist in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope instead.

Consequently, this season could see Vincent — a nominal point guard — playing a low-usage offensive role while Reaves — a nominal shooting guard — operates as the secondary playmaker behind lead initiator and point-forward LeBron James.

The case for D'Angelo Russell

There is no question that, in a vacuum, D'Angelo Russell is a better player than Gabe Vincent. Though Vincent has excellent physical tools and defensive upside, he's a sharper facilitator, shooter and ball-handler than the Los Angeles Lakers incoming point guard.

That said, Vincent is now consistently showing himself capable of making the right pass as the lead initiator when he penetrates the lane; it may not show up in his modest averages but, on film, the four-year pro is clearly developing that area of his game. In practice, the Lakers would be more willing to rely on Russell than Vincent when it comes to making plays for his teammates due to their bodies of work up to this point. Especially as D'Lo and Anthony Davis seemed to develop quite a bit of synergy last season.

Nonetheless, as Vincent continues prove his worth as a playmaker, the real skill that could keep D'Lo in the starting lineup is his scoring ability in general.

It may not be outside shooting specifically, and to that point, while Vincent managed to shoot 37.8 percent from 3 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs (including 44.6 percent on catch-and-shoot opportunities), the 27-year-old is far streakier than Russell from outside. In fact, outside of the 2021-22 season, the 2023 NBA Playoffs were only regular or postseason in his career in which he shot over 34 percent from 3 (min. 5 attempts).

For comparison, D'Lo has shot at least 34 percent from 3 in every regular season but one. The assessment gets tricky when looking at his postseason numbers as Russell has wilted under the spotlight, shooting just 32.9 percent from 3 for his career and below 33 percent from 3 in two of his three postseason appearances.

However, if one were to factor in not just outside shooting but midrange proficiency and finishing ability — general all-around scoring ability — the former No. 2 pick has the clear edge. His shooting range, quick shooting release, shooting touch — as well as his infamous ball-fakes and floaters — all make the Lakers' starting lineup more formidable from an offensive standpoint.

The Final Verdict

By the end of 2023-24 training camp, the Los Angeles Lakers should know who fits better in the starting lineup in practice. However, for now, the starting job should be D'Angelo Russell's to lose.

His focus in training camp and throughout the season will be his consistency. Finding a consistent role, consistently making an impact in key areas, and consistently putting up the numbers that player selected top-3 overall should be able to produce. One of the worst-kept secrets in the NBA is that for the Lakers to reach their peak, D'Angelo Russell — even more so than LeBron James or Anthony Davis — has to step up their play from last season. That's the case even if Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura continue to exceed expectations.

Still, Gabe Vincent will be a nice change-of-pace guard and situational defender for the Lakers. In fact, his ability to start may depend more on just how large a role that Reaves is equipped for than anything else considering the fan favorite's growth as a facilitator last season. Nonetheless, in a conference that has backcourt stars like Stephen Curry, Jamal Curry, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Ja Morant, expect Vincent to play a major role no matter whether he starts or not.