Overview:
Gabe Vincent, a 2018 graduate of UCSB who set an all-time Gaucho record with 243 three-pointers, was knocked out of the school’s list of top-10 scorers when current NBA player Ajay Mitchell surpassed his 1,441-point total in 2024
That’s why the Los Angeles Lakers wanted former UC Santa Barbara basketball star Gabe Vincent to play the sidekick to their Superman, forward LeBron James.
They signed him to a three-year contract worth $33 million after he ran point for Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler during their run to the 2023 NBA Finals.
But the pot o’ gold Vincent found at the end of the free agency rainbow at Crypto.com Arena came with some kryptonite.
The former Gaucho, now well into the final year of his contract, has been limited by knee, ankle and now back injuries to about half of the 208 games the Lakers have played since his signing.
Vincent is expected back next week after missing his 19th game of the season on Sunday.
But for how long?
Coach JJ Redick still finds value in what he calls the “super professional” nature of his veteran guard.
He said Vincent’s virtues of energy, positivity, intelligence, coachability, sacrifice and camaraderie can be found in other Lakers, for sure.
“The difference,” Redick pointed out, “is he’s the most consistent in bringing those qualities every single time.
“He’s one of those guys where you’re like, ‘I’d love to have 10 Gabe Vincents.’”
But Redick soon may have to coach a team with no Gabe Vincents at all.
Feeling Defensive
The Lakers entered Sunday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies with a healthy 21-11 record.
But to compete for a championship, they’ll need to fix the defensive flaws in their lineup before the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
And that has put Vincent’s Laker future in jeopardy.
Opponents are making 49% of their shots against the Lakers. Only Sacramento, Charlotte and Utah rank worse defensively, and not by much.
James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves may be the Three Musketeers of basketball offense, but they’re also the Three Stooges of defense.
Recent computations from databallr.com showed that the Lakers get outscored by 7.1 points per 100 possessions — garbage time removed — when those three play together.
It’s no secret that the Lakers need to prop them up with a versatile defender.
Vincent, whose own vaunted defense is limited by his 6-foot-2 frame, has been fingered by every pundit and podcaster in Lakerland as the player most likely to be traded for a bigger defender.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger, a former executive with the Memphis Grizzlies, recently pointed out how Vincent’s expiring contract makes him “easier to move in potential deals.”
“Los Angeles must tread carefully because it’s so close to the first apron, where the Lakers are hard-capped (with its payroll),” Hollinger said.
“But adding $23 million in salary is possible if Vincent and (Maxi) Kleber are the outgoing salaries.”
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes noted that “Rui Hachimura’s shooting is too valuable” to be traded.
The length of Jarred Vanderbilt’s contract makes him difficult to deal, as well.
“That leaves Vincent as the most logical midtier salary the Los Angeles Lakers might consider trading,” he concluded.
But that presents the $33 million question: How much do they value the intangibles of the former Gaucho?
Guarded Roles
The season began with plenty of promise for the 29-year-old Vincent.
He averaged 16.2 points, making 55.6% of his three-pointers, and 4.0 assists in four preseason games while playing the lead-guard position.
“He’s been fantastic,” Redick said at the time. “Really as an on-ball guy, he’s created advantages for us.
“I think his movement in early offense sets and then his movement in our half-court has been really good.”
The rub, however, was that the Lakers’ triumvirate of James, Dončić and Reaves were absent at different times during the preseason.
Vincent knew he’d be pushed off the ball when those three were back in force. And that meant being put in the corner while the Supermen ran the show.
“I think it’s just been a unique situation where I’ve been able to showcase more of my skill set during this preseason,” he said at the time. “Obviously when we’re whole, I’m not gonna be running the one like that as frequently.
“We got great players in Luka, Bron, AR. They’ll probably be featured quite a bit so I’ll probably be off the ball a lot more.”
His prediction was spot on.
It’s resulted in averages of just 4.7 points on 36.2% shooting from three and 1.4 assists in the 14 games he’s played this season.
“First and foremost, it’s a different handle,” Vincent told Noozhawk. “Off the ball, you just have to be ready to shoot.”
He went back to lead guard for a night when James and Dončić sat out the Dec. 5 game at Boston. He responded by scoring 18 points with four three-pointers.
But the former Heat star is getting plenty of heat from fans who don’t understand why his point production can’t be like that every night.
Redick gets it, however.
“Gabe and I have talked about it a ton and whether he likes a role, doesn’t like a role, you’re going to get the same version of him every single day,” he said after a game earlier this season. “I lived it as a player, so I can relate to it.
“It’s hard, but just … having that guy in our locker room … again another night where I thought his leadership was very obvious.
“He’s a valued member of our team regardless of whatever the on or off ball role is.”
Beach Party
Vincent is also valuable whether he’s on or off the court.
When the grueling preseason conditioning began to grate on the players, Vincent talked Redick into letting them take it to the sands of Manhattan Beach without the coaches.
He mixed in some games of Spikeball with the running drills.
“Just something to get out of this building,” Vincent said. “In the summer, we spend so much time in the gym, grinding at the same thing over and over, that sometimes a change of scenery is everything.
“So it was something for us to do that was different, it was something for us to do together.
“We had a good time with it, and it created some fun … ‘Coaches go home, get out of here, and just let us get comfortable with each other, and get to learn each other a bit and hear everyone’s story.’”
Dončić took Vincent’s cue and came up with his own team-bonding experience.
He gathered all the players at the Porsche Driving Experience in Carson and covered the costs for them to drive various race cars.
“The way he came here I’m sure was a big shock to the world and I’m sure to him, as well,” Vincent said. “He’s done a lot of work to be around more, be around the guys more, just to get him more comfortable and more involved.
“It’s great when we can come together and do something a little bit more extravagant than we maybe would have done on our own.
“Most important, we get to do it together.
“Sharing experiences is one of the quickest ways to grow closer.”
Vincent’s only goals coming into the season were to stay healthy and win a championship.
Statistics weren’t part of his equation.
“Games played is a goal for me,” Vincent said. “Obviously, I’d like to be able to showcase myself and put on a good performance, but I’m more interested in just helping us win games.”
When asked what makes a good leader, “leading by example” was his first answer.
“It’s hard to hold someone accountable if you can’t hold yourself accountable,” Vincent said.
Understanding how to “get through to people” was his next response.
“Everyone is different,” he pointed out. “I may need to talk to you differently than I talk to someone else to get the most out of you.
“Trying to understand your teammates, trying to understand the people around you and the group you’re leading.”
That’s why Vincent insisted that the best kind of work could be a day at the beach.
“I think things like that go a long way when you’re trying to make a playoff run,” he said.
Now the Lakers must decide if they can do that without Gabe Vincent out in front.
