6 Crucial Lakers who prove this isn't the same team from a season ago

Gabe Vincent

If losing Jarred Vanderbilt wasn't the biggest development of the 2023-24 season, then the injuries sustained by Gabe Vincent likely were. Vincent was the marquee acquisition for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, meant to help the team get to the next level on the defensive end of the floor.

Unfortunately, Vincent appeared in just 11 games for the Lakers, with just total appearances between November and April.

When Vincent is healthy, he's widely regarded as one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA. He thrived in that role with the Miami Heat, helping Erik Spoelstra's squad reach the 2023 NBA Finals with his willingness to take on tough assignments on a nightly basis.

Vincent also turned heads by erupting as a scorer during the Heat's run to the Finals, exceeding 20 points on four different occasions during the 2023 postseason.

Unfortunately, the Lakers were unable to benefit from any of the qualities that made Vincent such an intriguing addition. Instead, the depth beyond D'Angelo Russell was lost and the team scrambled to find talent on the buyout market when they were hoping to have an NBA Finalist in that role.

If Vincent is able to stay healthy in 2024-25, then Los Angeles will have a strong answer to their defensive woes from a season ago.

The Lakers ranked No. 28 in three-point field goals allowed last season. In 2022-23, Vincent held opponents to 35.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc—1.3 percent below the league average.

It's understandable to feel discouraged, but it's hard to call this the same old roster when so many of the team's most important pieces weren't even on the court in 2023-24.