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Plenty of fans believe Gabe Vincent is a tremendous signing for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team gave him a three-year contract reportedly worth $33 million to come west, and he has the potential to be an important contributor.
But some fans are convinced Vincent isn’t an upgrade over the outgoing Dennis Schroder. A few even believe he is a step down from the German native who was an integral part of the Lakers’ success this past season.
However, many scouts and executives around the league seem to like the addition of Vincent. In fact, one executive compared him to another guard who had substantial success with LeBron James: Mario Chalmers (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via Los Angeles Times:
“One league executive raved about the Lakers signing Gabe Vincent, saying the guard is ‘the perfect point guard to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis,’” wrote Woike.
“The executive cited Mario Chalmers as a player who reminds him of Vincent. ‘(Vincent) doesn’t need the ball, can shoot it and makes the right decisions. And, he can really defend.’”
James and Chalmers spent four seasons together on the Miami Heat. While Chalmers didn’t put up big stats, he was a reliable 3-point shooter that also contributed defensively.
Schroder needs to ball in his hands to be productive, but Vincent is reliable in catch-and-shoot situations, which would make him, at least conceivably, a better fit next to James. Although both are strong defenders, Vincent seems to do better than Schroder while guarding bigger backcourt players.
While D’Angelo Russell, at least as of now, appears to be the favorite to start at point guard this coming season, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported that Vincent could supplant him depending on what happens in training camp.