Lakers Injury Report: How LA Feels About Gabe Vincent's Surgery
One of the highlights of your Los Angeles Lakers' 2023 offseason was the signing of former Miami Heat point guard Gabe Vincent, who was expected to fill the void left by Dennis Schröder in free agency, while adding a bit more value on offense.
Unfortunately, that's yet to be the case, as Vincent has played in just five games and is averaging 5 points while shooting 11% from 3-point range.
He missed 27 games due to knee swelling prior to being recommended for surgery, which has since ruled him out for 6-8 weeks.
Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times released a quote made by Darvin Ham about Vincent's injury and subsequent surgery:
“It’s definitely impactful. But on the flip side of that, we’re pleased that now it’s going to be a huge light at the end of the tunnel, in terms of him getting his stuff cleaned up,” Ham said. “We’ll check on him, nurse him back to health and get ready for a big contribution once he’s cleared.”
Vincent will definitely need to put forth a big contribution upon returning, as he was arguably the Heat's third- or fourth-most important player during their Finals run last season. The role he can fill with the Lakers is one that's incredibly needed: a capable shot creating, playmaking, and three-point shooting guard who can hold his own defensively.
In the long-term I believe Vincent starting at point guard can be the answer for LA. His two-way impact along with knockdown shooting can come close enough to replicating the offensive production of D'Angelo Russell, while his defensive production would be far, far better.
Unfortunately, we won't know if this is the case until mid-February, as Vincent's surgery and ensuing minutes restrictions, rehab, etc., may result in him not having his feet under him until LA's playoff push in March/early April.
Here's an excerpt from a previous article I wrote that also details the consequences that come from this injury:
"I find this to be a massive problem personally, as applicably speaking, this could end up meaning either an unnecessary trade for a guard that fills the role (3-and-D-esque with decent self-creation and playmaking skills) that Vincent is supposed to fill (and could after the injury), or a decision to instead not make a trade for a player fitting Vincent's mold on the basis that he'll return and produce – which there's no guarantee of at all.
His health issues have also nerfed his trade value, as while he could easily have as much value as D'Angelo Russell at times, he currently has next to no value as there's limited understanding of what he'll look like post-injury, as a combination of struggling to adjust to a new team, as well as rehabbing from surgery could leave him on a minutes restriction entering pivotal points of the season (late February/early March)."
It's not great in LA, but hopefully Vincent can work his way back sooner rather than later and showcase the potential he displayed last season.
