NBA

Lakers’ Gabe Vincent has a ‘legitimate chance’ to take the starting PG role from D’Angelo Russell this offseason

Gabe Vincent pic

Most media members around the NBA would agree that the Lakers have made the best moves this offseason. They resigned Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell. Additionally, they acquired former Miami PG Gabe Vincent via free agency. According to league sources, Vincent has a “legitimate chance” to take the starting PG role from Russell this offseason. 

Vincent just finished his fourth season in the NBA after going undrafted in 2018. He played his college ball at UC Santa Barbara and got his start as a camp invite with the Sacramento Kings. In 2019, he signed a two-way contract with the Heat. Two years later, Vincent signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract.

After his stellar play in Miami’s 2023 postseason run, Vincent earned himself a payday in free agency. He signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the LA Lakers this offseason.


Will Gabe Vincent earn the starting PG role over D’Angelo Russell for the Lakers in 2023-24?

According to Jovan Budha of The Athletic, Gabe Vincent could be the Lakers’ starting PG next season. In the 2023 postseason, Vincent became the starting PG for the Miami Heat. He played in 68 of their regular season games and made 34 starts.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra made him the starter towards the end of the season to give the offense a boost. Veteran PG Kyle Lowry was more efficient coming off the bench for the Heat. Vincent was now playing in an expanded role and was playing the best basketball of his career.

He averaged a career-high (12.7) points per game in the 2023 postseason. If he can ride that wave of momentum from his last season in Miami, the starting PG role could be his. That’s in large part to D’Angelo Russell severely underperforming in the 2023 postseason.

His three-point efficiency was horrendous and he didn’t play to the standard they needed him to. Gabe Vincent offers the consistent three-point shooting that Russell cannot. On top of that, Vincent is a scrappy player and loves to guard the full 94 feet on defense. Russell was an average defender at best for the Lakers. All those signs point to Vincent being their starting PG in 2023-24.