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Head coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers.
THE the Los Angeles Lakers have played 38 consecutive games without being signed by a free agent during the 2023 offseason Gabe Vincent.
They are 21-18 in this period.
But they would no doubt welcome him back into the mix as soon as possible after signing him to a $33 million contract over three years. Fortunately for both sides, Vincent is ready to get back on the floor.
“[Lakers head coach] Darvin Ham says Gabe Vincent has been cleared to work contactless,” the Dan Woike of the LA Times reported on X, formerly Twitter, on March 12.
This follows a report that Vincent was moving towards this step.
“Gabe Vincent is doing more and more on the field,” Shams Charania of The Athletic said on “Run it backwards» on March 5. “The Lakers will know more, I think, next week where Gabe Vincent stands. But barring any setbacks, it is still around mid-March or the end of March that he will be able to return to the lineup. The Lakers can always use another guard in the backcourt.
Vincent, 27, is averaging 5.4 points, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 rebounds this season. He is shooting 37.5% from the floor and 11.8% from downtown. Add in three-point efficiency – 37.8% in last year’s playoffs – and defense could be the key.
Lakers rankings ninth in three-point efficiency but they are 30th in attempts per game. Their guards also boast of 12th best defensive ratingaccording to advanced data from NBA.com.
Vincent underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at the end of December.
Lakers G Gabe Vincent on the road to recovery
THE team announced on Dec. 27 that his procedure was successful and gave an expected return time of “six to eight weeks.”
“We just have to make sure everything is going well for him and his health first and foremost,” Ham told reporters on December 23. “And then you just try to activate plan B, which is next man up, so to speak.
“Our number one priority is just to make sure we know what’s going on with him and get him in a position where he can be healthy.”
We do not know what role Vincent will be able to play when he returns to the field. There is only 16 games left in the regular season. And Ham will likely want his potential playoff rotations somewhat locked in by then.
Vincent will also need time to reacclimatize physically after such a long absence. His last match was on December 20.
He wasn’t the only injured Laker to receive an update, either.
Jarred Vanderbilt “progressing”
Jared Vanderbilt has been out since February 1 due to a foot sprain. There was optimism that the striker would return this season. But Woike’s other note put a damper on that somewhat.
“Vanderbilt is progressing in his recovery but has not been cleared for field work,” Woike reported in a later article.
With 29 games under his belt this season, he might have an easier time getting back up to speed than Vincent upon a return. But he should return soon, just like Vincent, to make a significant impact.
The Lakers’ next game will take place against the Kings of Sacramento on March 13. They are 0-3 against the Kings this season.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. He has covered the NBA and NFL since 2016, including on FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He is based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck Learn more about Josh Buckhalter
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