Last season was one to forget for Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, who only played in 11 games as he dealt with knee issues. After being signed during the 2023 offseason, he was prompted as L.A.’s big addition with their mid-level exception.
However, that did not come to fruition as Vincent suffered a left knee injury early into the season. After originally trying to avoid surgery, the swelling in his knee did not go away and ultimately had to get an arthroscopic procedure to clean it up.
When he did return, Vincent did not look comfortable from an offensive perspective as his shooting numbers dropped severely. Hopefully, with a full offseason, Vincent will be ready for next season.
But with a new head coach in JJ Redick, Vincent does not know what stepping into training camp will be like. He did speak on that though and said he is excited to play under Redick, who he knows a little bit off the floor, via FOX40 News:
“No, not really. But, a new coach, know him a little bit off the floor, great person, excited to see how the year goes. I think everyone is looking forward to camp. We’ve had a longer offseason and we’re ready to get back and compete.”
While Redick does not have head coaching experience, his knowledge of the game cannot be denied. The former 15-year NBA veteran isn’t quite on LeBron James’ level but Vincent still praised him for his IQ:
“Yeah, very, very, very high IQ. I think LeBron is almost in a league of his own in many ways, but JJ’s IQ is very high. You saw that when he played, you’ve seen it when he’s doing the breakdowns at the media, day in and day out. He’s a savant of basketball as well.”
There is going to be a learning curve for Redick as he adjusts to what life is like as a head coach, especially for a team like the Lakers. Nonetheless, L.A. having veterans like James, Vincent and Anthony Davis can make this process more collaborative.
All in all, pressure will mount and seeing how Redick handles the ups and downs of an NBA season is something to monitor through his rookie year.
Gabe Vincent feeling healthy ahead of 2024-25 season
As LeBron James and Anthony Davis compete in the Olympics, the health of role players is going to be vital should either of them miss time. Thankfully, Gabe Vincent shared that he is going to be fully healthy heading into training camp.
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