Last offseason, one of the biggest additions the Los Angeles Lakers made in free agency was adding point guard Gabe Vincent. A playoff-tested two-way guard who can defend and hit open shots, Vincent was expected to play a big role for the Lakers last year.
Unfortunately, a knee injury practically ended Vincent’s season before it could even get started and while he did return near the end of the year, he could never quite find that rhythm. But now completely healthy, Vincent is looking forward to helping the Lakers win some games this year.
“I think just playing in general helps that, I think I only played like 11 games or something like that last season,” Vincent said when asked about finding his rhythm. “So being on the court is a huge factor in that, being healthy is a huge factor in that which I am so I’m looking forward to this year.
“I think what I bring is the same thing I brought last time we had this conversation. I think I can still defend, I think can make an open shot, I can playmake for guys. So I’m curious to see the way things will play out, the way they’ll shake out in terms of role definition and so forth, but I’m looking forward to helping this team win basketball games.”
Vincent was undoubtedly disappointed in how last season turned out, but as he said he still possess those same tools to help the Lakers win games. That being said, the competitor in him struggled with not being able to play last season.
Any competitor that doesn’t have the chance to compete due to injuries or stuff out of their control, it’s gonna bother them, frustrate them etc,” Vincent added during Lakers Media Day. “So for me last year was frustrating, but trying to find ways I can still be helpful to the guys on the court, off the court in different ways. Taking the offseason to better my health, to come out here to be able to compete is something I’m looking forward to and taking on this next season ahead.”
Obviously injuries are never good, but for Vincent the time off was admittedly something he needed. The Lakers guard noted that he hadn’t had any time off for many years thanks to his international commitments as well.
“Before this summer it was pretty much like four or five years straight of basketball,” Vincent said. “When the year was done, playoffs were done, I was playing world games with Nigeria so it was a long stretch of basketball for me. Taking advantage of this unfortunate longer summer off has been huge for my body, huge for my game. So I’ve just been trying to take advantage of that. I’m looking forward to those changes hopefully showing this season, we’ll play a lot more than 11 games.”
With him barely playing last season, Vincent can be viewed as something of an offseason addition in the eyes of the Lakers and if he can make an impact, the team as a whole should improve.
Gabe Vincent enjoys being Lakers teammates with LeBron James
Of course Gabe Vincent being on the court more for the Lakers means sharing that court with LeBron James and he enjoys being the teammate of arguably the greatest player of all-time.
Vincent recently spoke on LeBron as a teammate, saying that he leads by example and adding that being next to greatness allows himself to get better as well.