Gabe Vincent has quietly become the player the Lakers envisioned when they signed him.
The contract is starting to show its worth… Few players have been as polarizing for the Los Angeles Lakers as Gabe Vincent. While his defensive abilities are widely acknowledged, injuries and inconsistency have hindered the 28-year-old from regaining the form that made him a sought-after player in 2023.
Fortunately, Vincent has gradually started playing at the level the Lakers expected when they signed him—and the timing couldn’t be better.
In his final season with the Miami Heat, Vincent posted averages of 9.4 points, 2.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 three-pointers per game in 25.9 minutes. While he wasn’t a dominant scoring threat, he was a reliable shooter, capable of creating his own offense and playing strong defense.
However, in the 2024-25 season, Vincent has struggled, averaging just 5.6 points, 1.4 assists, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 three-pointers in 20.2 minutes per game.
Beyond these stats, there have been frustrating moments where he seemed unwilling to shoot. This has been one of the most disappointing aspects of his Lakers tenure, given that he was signed after an impressive playoff run in 2023 where he scored 20-plus points in five games.
Luckily, Vincent has started to resemble his Miami self again, bringing more energy to both ends of the court, including a renewed offensive aggressiveness.
Gabe Vincent appears to have regained his offensive confidence Vincent failed to reach 10 points in any of his first 19 games in the 2024-25 season, averaging just 2.8 points in 16.7 minutes per game. He then scored 10 or more points in three of his next eight games, only to slide back into a slump.
Over the last 14 games, however, Vincent has been much more productive, averaging 8.8 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 three-pointers in 22.7 minutes per game, shooting .445/.365/.750 from the field.
He’s scored at least 10 points in seven of those 14 games, including a stretch of four consecutive games with 11 or more points. Though he’s faced struggles in the past three outings, he’s maintained an aggressive mindset, attempting 16 threes during that stretch.
That’s exactly what the Lakers need from Vincent going forward: A consistent effort to space the floor and generate offense, even when his shot isn’t falling.
The Lakers are 9-1 this season when Vincent scores at least 10 points and 12-4 when he attempts five or more three-pointers. While the sample size is small, it clearly shows how much better the team is when its backup guard is a threat on offense.
Vincent enhances spacing and provides the added bonus of being able to drive to the basket or pull up from midrange when his lanes are blocked.
Combined with his solid individual and team defense, Vincent is proving the worth he showed when the Lakers first signed him. Opponents shoot 2.7 percent worse when he’s guarding them, and the Lakers allow 2.3 fewer points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court.
On top of all this, Vincent is hitting 38.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes, and the Lakers have finally got the player they initially invested in.