Lakers Injury Report: Gabe Vincent Will Need to Retain Crucial Aspect of His Game to Return

Vincent is expected to return sometime before the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers' signing of point guard Gabe Vincent over the summer has been a disaster, to say the least. Vincent has played in just five games for Los Angeles this year while he has been dealing with an injury.

Los Angeles expected Vincent to provide them with a solid backup level guard, whose strength was defense and three-point shooting. But his absence has been felt, especially in terms of their point-of-attack defense. 

Vincent has been working his way back to the court and was seen in uniform on Friday in practice. However, the veteran wasn't practicing and still has some ways to go before he can suit up.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said that Vincent was "status quo" and that he would need to get his conditioning back up in order to return to the court. 

Vincent did not participate in the live portion of practice today. Darvin Ham says Vincent is “status quo.” The final step in Vincent’s return process will be getting his conditioning back, a source told ESPN. https://t.co/gIIuYIoJSa

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 15, 2024

In the five games that Vincent did play for the Lakers, he didn't look very good. He averaged just 5.4 points, one rebound and three assists while shooting 11.8% from beyond the three-point arch.

It's been a nightmare season for the point guard, but he is hoping to return to action as soon as he can. His return would be a welcome sight for this Lakers team as they gear up for the postseason. 

The trickiest part will be how they integrate him into the rotations after he has been out for so long. But the team is full of professionals and if Vincent can return, his impact may be just what this team needs.