Gabe Vincent was one of the biggest offseason additions for the Los Angeles Lakers and he showed why in the team’s third preseason game against the Sacramento Kings. Vincent finished with 18 points, knocking down four 3-pointers in the eight-point victory at Honda Center in Anaheim.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves all sat out, giving a bigger opportunity for the rest of the team to shine and Vincent did just that, as did many others. And with another strong victory, Vincent believes the Lakers are trending positively this preseason.
“It was fun. Everything is headed in the right direction,” Vincent said after the win. “That’s what preseason is for, to kind of gear up. We’re growing closer together as a team and things are starting to click more with each game. Obviously we got a lot of room for improvement but we’re trending in the right direction.”
As Vincent said there is still room for the Lakers to grow, especially from a chemistry standpoint as the new additions integrate with the returning players. But this is where the preseason schedule might be a positive as the Lakers have six preseason games, which Vincent believes will give them more time to figure each other out.
“It’s tough. I know some people would rather play two preseason games or three,” Vincent added. “But there is an advantage to playing six. Like I mentioned before, we’re continuing to grow closer together so I try to look at the bright side of things. So hopefully we can just continue to grow and by the time we get to tipoff, we’re feeling pretty good.”
With so much depth, it is going to be tough for head coach Darvin Ham to figure out the right rotations and lineup combinations, but these extra games could give the staff some extra time to figure that out. What is great for the Lakers is that their roster is extremely versatile.
Someone like Vincent can operate as the primary ball-handler but has also spent plenty of time on the court with D’Angelo Russell and Reaves, which he is used to and has done throughout his career.
“I love it,” the Lakers guard said. “My time in the league has been a mixture of that as well whether it was Goran [Dragic] or Kyle [Lowry] these past couple of years or Tyler [Herro]. So it’s something I’m used to and I think it makes it a lot easier when you got two guys that can handle the ball and initiate offense or be a playmaker and play off the ball. So I think me and DLo did a bit of that today.”
The depth and versatility, not just with the guards, but across the board for the Lakers gives the coaching staff so many options and Vincent just showed what he brings to the table in a big way.
Gabe Vincent loves the energy of Lakers training camp so far
The additions of Vincent and others this offseason has led many to view the Lakers as a title contender and the team believes that to be the case as well. There is an energy surrounding these Lakers so far in training camp and preseason that Vincent loves.
“Biggest takeaway is I just love the energy we bring in every single day,” Vincent said. “Guys are excited to be here, but it’s not like a weird too excited kind of vibe. It’s more of an excitement, an eagerness to get out there and compete and play and get to know one another.”
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