Gabe Vincent has been an absolute enigma for the Los Angeles Lakers ever since he arrived on a three-year, $33 million deal in the 2023 free agency period. That much has not changed, and it serves as a constant reminder of why the Miami Heat felt comfortable letting him go.
Vincent entered the free agent mark in 2023 with his stock at an all-time high. The Heat enjoyed an improbable run to the NBA Finals with him as the starting point guard during the postseason run that led up to that offseason. It was one of the best stretches of the veteran guard's career.
Vincent averaged. 12.7 points, shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc, and had 3.5 assists per game to pair with his scoring. That is all before mentioning the hounding defense brought by the smaller guard.
That is the version of Vincent the Lakers paid. That has not been the player who the backup point guard has been for the majority of his time in Los Angeles. There will be glimpses that appear every so often that make Vincent look much closer to that guy again, but they never become the norm.
Gabe Vincent's inconsistency has plagued his Lakers career
The run Vincent has had since returning from his injury paints a very clear picture of the problems that come with having him in the rotation. There is no sense of reliability with the offensive production.
Some nights, it will be a steadier performance of knocking down a few easy opportunities created for him. Other nights, and these are the ones that comes more often, Vincent will be a non-factor in the scoring department.
Theoretically, this is a guy who should be perfectly positioned within the Lakers offense. Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves all create easy shots for their teammates on the perimeter. Vincent should be enjoying those giftwrapped looks.
The streakiness that comes from his scoring is one of the most frustrating parts of the Gabe Vincent experience. The worst part of it is his shot always seems to disappear at the most inopportune times. Mainly, that would be during the NBA Playoffs.
In 10 postseason games throughout his run with the Lakers, Vincent has averaged 2.1 points per game. Those have been delviered on 30.8 percent from the field and 30.8 from 3-point land.
Vincent should get kudos for his solid defensive play. However, the Lakers would greatly benefit from having a backup point guard who can apply real pressure to defenses. That is not him.