One Los Angeles Lakers insider thinks Gabe Vincent has a “legitimate chance” to start over D’Angelo Russell next NBA season at point guard.
Vincent could be the starting point guard for the Lakers if he outplays Russell in training camp, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“With all that said, this is an open competition and Vincent has a legitimate chance to steal the starting job,” Buha wrote. “He is the better defender than Russell and a more natural off-ball fit as a lower-usage catch-and-shoot threat. Unlike Russell, Vincent’s defensive chops prevent him from being played off the floor in the postseason, as he showed during the Heat’s Finals run. At a minimum, Vincent is the early closer, much as Dennis Schröder often was last season, especially in critical matchups that require two-way players.”
Vincent averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Heat during the 2022-23 regular season while shooting 40.2% from the field, 33.4% from beyond the arc and 87.2% from the free-throw line. He started 34 games.
The 27-year-old Vincent averaged 12.7 points and 3.5 assists in the 2023 playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets. The Heat lost to the Nuggets in the NBA Finals in five games.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Gabe Vincent & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers acquired Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the 2023 February trade deadline and the Ohio State product played well in his 17 games with Los Angeles, averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 41.4% from 3. D’Lo also put up strong numbers in the first two rounds of the 2023 playoffs versus the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. The Louisville native averaged 15.7 points and 5.0 assists and scored 31 points in Game 6 against the Grizzlies.
However, Russell was so poor against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals that many people around the NBA believed the Lakers shouldn’t have re-signed him. The lefty averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 32.3% from the floor and 13.3% from deep as the Nuggets swept the Lakers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Gabe Vincent & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Despite Russell’s struggles versus the Nuggets, though, the Lakers brought him back. For the first time in the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era, which started in 2019-20, Los Angeles prioritized continuity and chemistry over chasing flashier upgrades this offseason.
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