The Los Angeles Lakers’ big offseason addition was Gabe Vincent as they used their full mid-level exception on the point guard after his breakout postseason run with the Miami Heat.
Vincent played a huge role in the Heat’s unexpected run to the NBA Finals, which was a very similar run the Lakers went on. Both the Lakers and Heat went from almost losing in the Play-In Tournament to the final four of the postseason, although they also both suffered the same fate losing to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
Now that he is on the Lakers, Vincent has the same mindset as everyone else of wanting revenge on the Nuggets after losing to them in the NBA Finals. And it seems that Vincent and the Lakers are not shying away from that going into Opening Night when they play Denver, via Mark Medina of Sportskeeda:
“For any organization or team that is really concerned about winning a title, you have to talk about the team that just won. How can we beat them? They’re still the best team until they’re beaten. Until someone is crowned NBA champion, they’re the champions. It plays a role and something we’ll prepare for. Denver is still a very good team. They’re still the champions. There have been other moves around the league. But Denver plays a big role in that, especially now that I’m in the West and on the Lakers’ side. I’m going to see them four times instead of two. It definitely plays a role.”
Vincent went on to discuss what it will take for the Lakers to beat the Nuggets, who still have a very talented team:
“It’s a pretty simple recipe. We have to guard at a high level. We have to have an efficient offense. We have to be together. We have to share the ball. A lot of it is playing the game the right way. We’re a talented group and we are very deep. We have guys that are coming off the bench that would start on a number of other teams. We have a pretty dynamic roster. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how we come together and what we can build off of.”
If the Lakers are going to ultimately beat the Nuggets then it will have to be a group effort, which this roster is better equipped for with additions like Vincent.
Unlike the Lakers, the Heat were actually able to take a game from Denver in the NBA Finals, so perhaps he can give his new team some advice on how to get it done this season.
Vincent not a fan on In-Season Tournament
One thing the Lakers will also have to prepare for is the NBA’s first In-Season Tournament, which will begin in November. Despite the winners getting some extra money, Vincent was not afraid to admit that he’s not a fan of the league’s newest change.
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