Could Gabe Vincent end up stealing the starting point guard spot on the roster of the Los Angeles Lakers? As many fans will be aware, the Los Angeles Lakers greatly exceeded expectations last postseason. Despite finishing the season as the 7th seed and being a part of the play-in tournament, the Lakers managed to make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
We all know what happened there, they were swept in just 4 games by the eventual NBA champions in the Denver Nuggets. This indicates that there was still room for changes and improvement in the Lakers’ roster. Perhaps, that is why the franchise made a move to acquire Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat.
Since Gabe is a point guard, many fans are wondering what his role will be like on the Lakers next season. An NBA Insider called Jovan Buha has even gone far enough to claim that he could replace D’Angelo Russell as a start for the Lakers. With that being said, let us take a closer look at this situation and find out if that is actually possible.
Will Gabe Vincent be a better fit for the Lakers when compared to D’Angelo Russell?
Fans who witnessed the success that the Miami Heat found in these playoffs will know that Vincent was an integral factor in the teams’ deep postseason run. Despite initially being undrafted, Vincent managed to prove doubters wrong this season by making clutch players for the Heat at multiple points in the postseason.
Since D’Angelo didn’t really manage to do the same for the Lakers, especially when it mattered the most, Joshua Buha argued that it is fully possible for Vincent to take Dlo’s spot on the roster next season.
“This is an open competition and Vincent has a legitimate chance to steal the starting job. 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.”
Although this is certainly a valid point, the numbers don’t reflect that Gabe is a clear-cut better option when compared to Russell. This season, Vincent averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Additionally, he shot 40.2% from the field and 33.4% from the three-point line.
On the other hand, D’Angelo averaged 17.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. He also shot 46.9% from the field and 39.6% from the three-point line. The numbers clearly speak for themselves and indicate that Dlo played significantly better than Vincent last season.
In any case, we look forward to seeing which player has a better season and proves themselves. After all, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will need the best 3 players from the Lakers on the floor with them if they wish to compete for a championship next season.