When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Gabe Vincent, the intention was clear. Vincent was coming off of a remarkable string of performances in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, during which time he provided two-way value to a Miami Heat team that reached the NBA Finals.
With the 2025 postseason approaching, Vincent is reminding the Lakers that patience can be a virtue and investments occasionally need time to pay off.
It's been a turbulent tenure in Los Angeles for Vincent, who missed all but 11 games due to injury in 2023-24. He inevitably experienced an uphill battle in returning to form in 2024-25, failing to score in double-figures until his 20th appearance of the regular season.
Through his first 33 games, Vincent was averaging just 4.2 points per game on .368/.319/.500 shooting—and the reasons for optimism were scarce.
In his 33 appearances since then, however, Vincent has been the epitome of a tale of two halves. He's averaged 8.2 points and 2.2 three-point field goals made in 23.5 minutes per game, shooting at a relatively efficient level with a slash line of .429/.383/.846.
After scoring at least 10 points just three times in 2024, Vincent already 13 such games in 2025—and the Lakers have been nothing short of dominant during those outings.
Gabe Vincent scoring leads to an almost guaranteed Lakers win
Los Angeles is currently 14-2 when Vincent scores at least 10 points in a single game. One of the losses was suffered on Dec. 6, during which time the Lakers went to overtime in a thrilling 134-132 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks.
In other words: When Vincent simply eclipses 10 points in a single game, Los Angeles has managed to border on unstoppable.
Some might be inclined to write this off as a meaningless development, but the quality of those wins tells all. That 14-2 record was compiled via victories over the likes of the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks.
Los Angeles isn't just benefiting from Vincent putting points on the board, but is realizing what made him such an important piece of Miami's puzzle in 2023.
Vincent has saved the best games of his season for bouts with teams that are on pace to compete for a championship—or at the very least, a spot in the playoffs. That seemingly implies the former postseason hero could rediscover that glory.
That's exactly what made Vincent's 2022-23 campaign so memorable, as he posted five 20-point games during the 2023 NBA Playoffs—including one during the NBA Finals.
Most encouraging of all is the fact that Vincent has scored 10-plus points in six of his past 14 games. He's making a habit out of stepping up on offense after previously struggling to do so at all, scoring as many as 24 points against the Brooklyn Nets, 20 on the Rockets, and 15 at the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers will go as far as the likes of Luka Doncic and LeBron James take them, but Vincent is proving to be the X-Factor that Rob Pelinka paid him to be.
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