On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers play the New York Knicks, and this game will begin a challenging stretch in which they play the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves twice.
The Lakers have had trouble staying healthy this season, and it’s a major reason they are a disappointing 15-11 and in eighth place in the Western Conference. The one Lakers player who has had the biggest health problems is guard Gabe Vincent, who has been out for more than six weeks with a knee ailment.
There was hope he might return on Monday, but he will not. Head coach Darvin Ham said Vincent still needs to improve his conditioning before he can come back.
Darvin Ham says there are “a few more conditioning boxes we need to check” before Gabe Vincent can return from the knee swelling that’s kept him out of the lineup since Oct. 30.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 19, 2023
Vincent’s ability to pressure opponents defensively on the perimeter and supply secondary ball-handling and occasional outside shooting should certainly help L.A.’s cause.