Tag: Gabe Vincent

JJ Redick criticized D’Angelo Russell for lacking competitiveness and attention to detail

This could be a BIG issue for the Lakers.

During a Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach JJ Redick played starting guard D’Angelo Russell for limited minutes.

After the game during his media availability, Redick was not shy about why he made the decision. According to the first-year head coach, he did not see a level to “compete” and an “attention to detail” from Russell when he was on the court against Memphis.

Redick added that he has spoken to Russell about this for the past few weeks and noted that while the guard has been “really good” about this at times, he fell short and reverted to “old habits” versus the Grizzlies.

According to Redick, it wasn’t a “punishment” but rather an attempt to win the game.

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent replaced Russell after this defensive mishap in the third quarter:

It is worth noting that Vincent did not play particularly well either, finishing with 6 points (2-of-8 FG) and 2 turnovers and the second-lowest plus-minus of any player on the team.

After a strong start to the season the Lakers (4-4) are now at .500 and have not looked as sharp of late. They will have a chance to bounce back against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday evening.

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Lakers guard Gabe Vincent calls head coach JJ Redick a savant

Gabe Vincent is another Lakers player who thinks highly of new head coach JJ Redick’s basketball acumen.

One player who, in a low-key way, could help the Los Angeles Lakers this coming season in a supporting role is guard Gabe Vincent. They signed him to a three-year, $33 million contract last summer, but he missed most of the 2023-24 season with a knee ailment that required surgery.

During his four previous NBA seasons, he showed the ability to be a gritty backcourt defender, handle the ball on occasion and hit outside shots when needed. He played a key role in the Miami Heat’s unexpected run to the 2023 NBA Finals, which likely inflated his market value a bit.

During an interview with Sacramento-based Fox40, Vincent praised new Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s basketball intelligence (at 4:17).

“No, not really,” Vincent said when he was asked if he has a feel for how things will be with Redick. “But, a new coach, know him a little bit off the floor, great person, excited to see how the year goes. I think everyone is looking forward to camp. We’ve had a longer offseason and we’re ready to get back and compete.”

The Lakers already have a very high-IQ player in LeBron James. But if Redick, who has virtually no coaching experience of any kind, has one thing going in his favor, it’s his basketball acumen.

“… Yeah, very, very, very high IQ,” Vincent responded when asked to compare the basketball IQ of James and Redick. “I think LeBron is almost in a league of his own in many ways, but JJ’s IQ is very high. You saw that when he played, you’ve seen it when he’s doing the breakdowns at the media, day in and day out. He’s a savant of basketball as well.”

Over the last several weeks, fellow guard D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves have also made it clear that they think highly of their new bench leader.

Basketball fans got a glimpse of Redick’s basketball knowledge when he and James co-hosted the “Mind the Game” podcast. He may not have a championship-caliber roster in front of him, but he does have plenty of good players who could surprise some people around the league.

Gabe Vincent says he’s feeling healthy as new season approaches

After missing most of the 2023-24 season with a knee ailment, Lakers guard Gabe Vincent says he’s ready to go for this coming season.

It’s easy to forget that the Los Angeles Lakers have a very capable role player on their bench in guard Gabe Vincent. After all, Vincent spent most of this past season on the injured list because of a stubborn knee problem that eventually forced him to undergo a procedure.

From the beginning of November until the last day of March, he appeared in just one game. When he returned near the end of the regular season, he was out of rhythm and barely contributed despite getting some significant playing time.

It was only just over a calendar year ago that Vincent was a major contributor to the Miami Heat’s surprise run to the 2023 NBA Finals. Therefore, it is very conceivable that he will help the Lakers this coming season by playing gritty defense, hustling for loose balls and even hitting outside shots on occasion.

While speaking to Fox40, a Sacramento-area TV station, he said he’s feeling spry this offseason.

“It was very unfortunate, it was a frustrating year trying to battle through that and obviously having to give in eventually and have surgery and then return at the tail end of the year,” Vincent said. “But definitely had some time this offseason to get healthy and looking forward to the year.”

Vincent also admitted that coming to a new team and playing for a different head coach and in a different offensive system made his return from injury more complicated.

If all goes well, perhaps new head coach JJ Redick can turn to him as a glue guy off the bench. The key for him will be his outside shooting — he has shot over 34% from 3-point range just once in five NBA seasons, but he did hit 37.8% from downtown on a high volume of attempts in the 2023 playoffs.

NBA insider gives a potential Lakers trade package for Jerami Grant

Would you give up this suggested offer for two-way Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant?

We’re now a full month into the NBA’s official free agency and player movement period, and still, the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t brought in any outside players.

At best, their roster is only about as good as it was this past season when they won 47 regular-season games and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets. While many have opined that Los Angeles is no better than a play-in tournament team, a more rational analysis reveals that it is likely a legitimate playoff team.

Of course, L.A. doesn’t seem to be a championship-caliber team by any means. Therefore, it has reportedly expressed interest in Portland Trail Blazers two-way forward Jerami Grant.

While a report indicated he could cost two future first-round draft picks, NBA reporter Jake Weinbach said on X (formerly Twitter) that an offer could consist of Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish, as well as the Lakers’ 2029 first-round draft pick (h/t The Cold Wire).

That looks like a reasonable offer for Grant, a 6-foot-7, 30-year-old forward who averaged 21.0 points a game and shot 40.2% from 3-point range this past season. He’s also regarded as a very good and versatile defender, and the Lakers certainly need such a wing player who has length and athleticism.

Hachimura is a good player, but his production is inconsistent and his defense is limited. Vincent is a strong defender but limited offensively, and Reddish is very, very limited overall.

The question is whether Grant would move the needle enough. But if he would, such a trade would allow the Lakers to still deal D’Angelo Russell and their 2031 first-rounder for another impact player.

Nick Young pinpoints Lakers biggest mistake this season

The former Los Angeles Lakers guard shared his thoughts on the Purple and Gold’s biggest mistake this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers season has come to an abrupt end. A 4-1 series loss to the Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs ensured the Lakers will get an early jump on their offseason vacation plans. It’s the second time in two seasons Denver ended LeBron James’ dream of winning another championship.

According to former Laker Nick Young, the Purple and Gold’s failure can be traced back to a roster move they made during the summer. He believes the decision to add Gabe Vincent and move on from Dennis Schroder is what cost his former team against the Nuggets.

“If laker keep Dennis Schroder instead of Gabe Vincent we winning that series .. pls dnt make these same off season decisions,” Young posted on X. 

Vincent’s addition was seen as a shrewd move at the time. He had just helped lead the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals. He was a reliable backup guard who played well on both sides of the ball. However, injury issues derailed his season, while Schroder made a significant impact for the Toronto Raptors.

Vincent has another two years remaining on his contract with the Lakers. As such, he has plenty of time to prove why the front office decided to add him to the rotation. Or, he could be used as a make weight in a potential trade during the summer. Either way, his addition didn’t have the desired effect, and his debut season with the Lakers will be deemed a failure.

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This role player could make a big difference for the Lakers versus the Nuggets

One bench player could almost single-handedly help swing things in the Lakers’ favor against the Nuggets in the playoffs.

The NBA playoffs are almost here, and winning and losing often comes down to stars and superstars putting their imprint on games, especially at critical junctures. But often times, non-stars can make almost as big a difference.

In the history of the Los Angeles Lakers, there have been many such men who have been integral to their championship runs. Players such as Michael Cooper, Mychal Thompson, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher and Brian Shaw have provided the type of critical support that is needed to come through.

This year, the Lakers will begin what they hope will be a long playoff run against the Denver Nuggets, a team that has an eight-game winning streak against them. While that sounds like a dominant stretch, five of those eight games were competitive and decided in the final minutes.

Having simply one more role or complementary player step up in such games can make all the difference in the world. This time around, L.A. has a player who may be able to do just that: Gabe Vincent.

Vincent was signed by the team last summer to a three-year, $33 million contract after playing a key role in the Miami Heat unexpectedly reaching the 2023 NBA Finals. Some wondered if the guard was worth that contract or even if the team should’ve signed him. Sure enough, he played in just five games until late March due to a persistent knee ailment that eventually required surgery.

Since he has returned, Vincent has taken a while to get back up to speed. But in Tuesday’s play-in tournament win over the New Orleans Pelicans, he shot 3-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range to help the Lakers to a 110-106 win.

One can expect Vincent to play gritty defense and to hustle for loose balls and offensive rebounds. When the Lakers got swept by Denver in last year’s Western Conference Finals, Jamal Murray ran amok to the tune of 32.5 points a game, and no one on their roster could put up any resistance against him.

This is where Vincent can shine. He guarded Murray during last summer’s championship series, and while he didn’t exactly stop Murray, he at least made the Nuggets star guard work and didn’t allow any real explosions.

Vincent will need to fight over the top of screens and not give Murray any daylight on Denver’s pick-and-roll and dribble handoff sequences. The Lakers typically go under screens and play drop coverage against pick-and-rolls, and it will be interesting to see if head coach Darvin Ham tweaks that strategy against Denver.

The big key for the former University of California, Santa Barbara Gaucho will be to provide something of note offensively. That doesn’t mean he has to score big points. It simply means he needs to help out on offense, be efficient and space the floor, at the very least.

If he does that, he could become a significant X-factor in this series and possibly even give the Lakers a real shot at victory.

Gabe Vincent is expected to be available for Lakers on Sunday vs. Nets

The Lakers could be getting a key player back from injury very soon.

Guard Gabe Vincent, whom the Los Angeles Lakers signed to a three-year, $33 million contract last summer, was expected to be a key contributor. But he has dealt with a knee issue all season and appeared in just five games.

He underwent a procedure in late December, and he has been slowly progressing in his rehab this month. Still, despite several positive reports about his rehab, plenty of Lakers fans have had a cynical attitude about Vincent’s potential return this season.

But with the team in the midst of a six-game road trip, his return seems to be imminent. He will reportedly join it in Indiana on Friday and is expected to be available to play on Sunday when it takes on the Brooklyn Nets.

The Lakers have been soft defensively on the perimeter for most of this season. If nothing else, Vincent’s return would give them a boost in that department with the postseason nearing.

Gabe Vincent’s return could be around the corner

Believe it or not, Gabe Vincent could return to game action for the Lakers in a matter of days.

Guard Gabe Vincent was supposed to play a sizable role in the Los Angeles Lakers’ success this season after they signed him to a three-year, $33 million contract last summer. But he quickly developed a persistent knee issue, and he played five games before undergoing a procedure to treat the problem.

Many Lakers fans have been pessimistic about the former Heat guard’s chances of returning this season, especially after another former Heat player, Kendrick Nunn, didn’t play at all for L.A. two seasons ago.

But Vincent has been slowly progressing in his rehab. In fact, if all continues to go well, he could get back on the court for game action at some point during the team’s six-game road trip. That trip begins Tuesday versus the Milwaukee Bucks.

Vincent’s ability to play tough defense, get loose balls, hit shots on occasion and even handle the ball at times could give the Lakers a boost. However, he would have very little time to get back up to speed: The regular season ends in less than three weeks.

Gabe Vincent nearing the final step of his return process

Could Lakers guard Gabe Vincent’s return be imminent?

The Los Angeles Lakers showed signs of life in late January and February, winning 11 of 16 games going into the All-Star break. Since then, they have regressed, winning just half of their subsequent 12 games.

Their last two losses, to the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors in the last four days, have virtually eliminated any chance they had of finishing in the top six of the Western Conference. In fact, at this point, the 10th-place Lakers have little chance of even finishing eighth in the conference.

However, there may be a glimmer of hope. Guard Gabe Vincent, who has been out for seemingly forever due to a nagging knee ailment, may actually be nearing a return.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the final step in his return process will be regaining his conditioning.

Vincent’s return cannot come too soon. Los Angeles seriously lacks defensive resistance on the perimeter, and he is known for providing exactly that, especially last season when he helped the Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals.

Per Darvin Ham, Gabe Vincent is cleared for non-contact work

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent has cleared another hurdle in his recovery from knee surgery.

Gabe Vincent was one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ most intriguing signings this past summer. The guard was a key member of the Miami Heat last season when they surprised people by reaching the NBA Finals, and he was expected to help the Lakers with his gritty defense.

However, he has played just five games due to a nagging knee problem that required surgery about two months ago.

His recovery has been slow, causing Lakers fans to expect him to miss the rest of the season. But he could be slowly nearing a return. He has reportedly been cleared for non-contact activity.

Although L.A. has won 17 of its last 26 games, it has lacked defensive pressure on the perimeter. If Vincent returns and remains healthy this season, he could supply that quality.