Heat G League prospect Gabe Vincent earns Most Improved Award
The Miami Heat have already watched several of their development projects turn into key contributors.
Guard Gabe Vincent could become the latest.
This week, he was named the G League's Most Improved Player by Ridiculous Upside. Vincent averaged 20.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in stints with the Stockton Kings and Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat's minor league affiliate.
Vincent appeared in six games with the Heat, averaging two points. He was signed to a two-way contract in early January.
"I'm honored and humbled to be recognized in this way," Vincent told the UC Santa Barbara website, where he attended college. "Most Improved Player was a goal of mine coming into this season so it's nice to have accomplished that goal as well as earn the opportunity to further pursue my dreams with the Miami Heat. I'm grateful for the accolade but there is a lot more work to be done."
The Heat have these situations as a developmental tool in the past. Duncan Robinson and Derrick Jones Jr. were both on two-way deals before becoming major contributors in the last two seasons. Robinson has already broken the franchise's single-season record for 3-pointers while Jones is a rotational player.
Rookie Chris Silva, who went undrafted in 2019, is also part of the development system. He needed just a few months to graduate from two-way contract to a three-year standard deal after drawing comparisons to Heat captain Udonis Haslem.
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