Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent will be sidelined for an additional two months following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, as announced by the Lakers. Vincent, who joined the team in the offseason as their backup point guard, has had a limited presence on the court. After playing in the Lakers’ initial four games in October, he faced a 23-game absence due to knee pain. Despite briefly returning for 14 minutes against Chicago on December 20, Vincent has undergone further surgery. His re-evaluation by team doctors is scheduled for eight weeks. Vincent, who spent his first four NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, achieved a career-high 9.4 points per game last season with 2.5 assists and a 33.4% shooting accuracy on 3-pointers.
The Lakers have faced challenges in establishing a consistent guard rotation, primarily attributed to Gabe Vincent’s absence, D’Angelo Russell’s inconsistent performances, and Max Christie’s underwhelming play. This situation has compelled the team to experiment with various rotations and increase reliance on LeBron James as their primary playmaker.
The struggles have been evident, with the Lakers losing six of their last eight games following their victory in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. The team is set to host Charlotte on Thursday night as they aim to address these challenges and regain momentum in the season.