With questions piling up regarding the Los Angeles Lakers and their offseason potential, the Lakers have kept their core intact and added to their depth. It seems that no blockbuster names will be flying to play in LA, but every signing thus far has fit the Lakers’ needs without losing their current identity.
At the 2023 NBA trade deadline, the City of Angels welcomed an almost entirely new bench squad and fought their way from the Play-In Tournament to the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the eventual NBA Champions Denver Nuggets.
By targeting depth at the trade deadline, the Lakers overcame a lackluster early season and bolstered their fit around star teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While bringing in a third star was an alluring offer, the Lakers won the 2020 Finals with a similar build of steady and reliable role players filling out the roster around their two-star model.
The Lakers had numerous valuable members of their postseason campaign head into free agency with other suitors interested in their talents. With Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura entering restricted free agency, starting point guard D’Angelo Russell headed into the unrestricted free agency pool. All three of them came back to LA within the first two days of free agency on contracts that allowed the Lakers to retain their flexibility to attract more talent.
These signings leave the Lakers up for a great upcoming season. Austin Reaves’ return will be monumental if Los Angeles hopes to make the most of LeBron’s final years.
Among the newest Los Angeles residents is 27-year-old point guard Gabe Vincent of the Eastern Conference Champions Miami Heat.
Free agent guard Gabe Vincent has agreed on a three-year, $33 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Vincent’s agent, Bill Neff, negotiated the new deal for a tremendous undrafted success story.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2023
Gabe Vincent has a specific fit next to LeBron James on the Lakers.
Vincent joins the Lakers for the next three seasons earning an average of $11 million per year. Vincent’s contract absorbs the majority of the Lakers’ full Mid-Level Exception and will likely be the biggest new name joining the squad.
The NBA world has seen James next to a number of different point guards, including 8x NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving and recently 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook. Gabe Vincent is not a talent that surpasses either of them, but Vincent’s recent playoff performance showcased his talents on the big stage.
When Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is looking at potential acquisitions, a primary focus should be the fit next to All-Time NBA Legend LeBron James. Gabe Vincent will be the perfect role-player guard to complement what LeBron does best.
Gabe Vincent will be a defensive force for the Lakers
Vincent has been in the league since 2019, signing with the Miami Heat as an undrafted free agent and has earned his role as a starting guard across the league.
Defensively, Vincent is the prototypical hustling perimeter defending guard. Vincent’s athletic defense is reminiscent of the unforgettable 2015 Finals effort of Matthew Dellavedova against NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
When guarded by Vincent, opponents shot 45 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from deep, per NBA’s stat tracking. In the regular season, Gabe Vincent averaged one steal per game and 2.5 deflections per game. With his effort, Vincent ranked in the 61st percentile for combo guards with a 1.6 percent steal percentage, per Cleaning the Glass (subscription required).
Whether Vincent is diving for loose balls or running back to the three-point line to contest a forgotten shooter, his active effort has managed to prevent numerous opponents from swinging the momentum toward themselves.
Sifting through Gabe Vincent film and already seeing the various ways his defense helps the Lakers in specific matchups
— LAbound (@LAbound2) July 1, 2023
Miami doubled Jokic one pass away from the perimeter (EXACTLY what the Lakers did)
Look how much quicker Vincent bumps over to take away the C+S 3 pic.twitter.com/MmwT4tXhMN
The fearless guard will not be the defensive anchor that takes on the hardest assignment each night out. Defending with Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt on the court, though, Vincent’s energy and commitment only amplify the intensity that Los Angeles’ frontcourt duo brings.
Vincent’s value to Los Angeles goes beyond his gritty defense, though. Lakers fans will be overjoyed with how Vincent can fit into Darvin Ham’s offensive schemes.
Gabe Vincent can be a system player on offense for the Lakers
It does not take long to realize that the best offense with LeBron James runs through him. While a traditional NBA offense expects the point guard to orchestrate the plays, the best fit next to LeBron is productive regardless of their control.
Even though LeBron’s longtime running mate Kyrie Irving is a phenomenal threat with the ball in his hands, he managed to adapt and execute off-ball plays with his swift speed and determined decision-making.
That is what succeeding next to LeBron James takes – an adaptive mindset. In Los Angeles, the Lakers tend to run offenses through any one of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, or a guard. Thankfully, Vincent has extensive experience in this sort of system.
In Miami, Vincent played next to both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, two players who often function as facilitators on the court. This style of play taught Vincent to be effective with or without the ball in his possession. Similar to his defensive playstyle, Gabe Vincent constantly moves around the floor to find the best opportunities when the time calls for it. He can control his flow within the offense without disrupting anyone else.
Through four seasons, Vincent has shot 33.9 percent on career 3-point attempts and averaged 2.3 assists per game, per Basketball Reference. These stats come on an average of 21 minutes played per night.
Additionally, 49.4 percent of Gabe Vincent’s field goal attempts came within two seconds of receiving the pass last season, on which he earned a 51.3 percent effective field goal percentage (eFG%). Vincent may not be a deadshot anywhere on the court, but his ability to find his shot through off-ball movement allows the Lakers to continue moving their offense through their star duo.
Rival teams cannot ignore Gabe Vincent on either side of the ball. His offense is not that of an All-Star, but lazy defenses will be punished by overcommitting to LeBron on a drive or Davis in the post. Playing in the backcourt next to Reaves puts two dangerous shooters on the floor alongside two all-time greats who perform best with long-range shooters surrounding them.
Adding Vincent to the guard rotation with D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves gives the Lakers what may be the best depth chart in their backcourt since LeBron James’ arrival to the purple and gold.