After dealing with the injury bug to begin the 2023-24 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have started getting healthy in recent weeks.
Guys like Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish have all returned to action, leaving Gabe Vincent as the only injury player remaining on the roster.
Vincent has missed all but the first four games of the regular season due to left knee effusion. While all of the recent reports have been that he is making progress, there still is no timetable for a return.
“There’s really no timeline, we’re just going day by day with him. He’s stacking days and that’s about where it’s at,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said before Saturday’s In-Season Tournament Championship game against the Indiana Pacers.
While there may not be a timetable, it is good to see that Vincent is continuing to make progress. He has been seen getting in pregame workouts before recent games, via Dan Woike of the L.A. Times:
Gabe Vincent going through a fairly intense pregame workout today pic.twitter.com/Ioy28XhIE8
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) December 9, 2023
Knee swelling is a tricky injury to deal with as you can’t push yourself until it’s gone or it will only get worse. So with that in mind, the Lakers are definitely being cautious with Vincent and thinking big picture, not allowing him to return before he’s 100%.
With other guys returning, the Lakers have actually had some solid depth in recent weeks and their improved play has reflected that. They are still missing a point of attack defending guard who can knock down timely shots though, which is exactly what Vincent was signed to provide.
L.A. signed the former Miami Heat guard to a three-year, $33 million contract this past offseason as their big addition with the mid-level exception. While they have not yet seen the returns on that, Vincent has proven to be a playoff player and will hopefully be able to perform when it matters most for the Lakers in April and May.
Prince discusses finding offensive rhythm
One of the Lakers’ other big offseason additions was Taurean Prince, who they signed to a one-year deal. He recently went through a shooting slump that he has since come out of and discussed how he was able to get his rhythm back.
“I think just staying consistent in my work, trusting it, being available for my teammates, staying locked in defensively. I think that’s kind of activating my offense right now.”
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