The Lakers are locked in on their goal of winning a championship this season. They kicked off their training camp earlier this week and, despite losing four players to injury, seem confident that they have set things in motion the right way.
Following their last practice ahead of the first preseason game against the Suns, Gabe Vincent spoke to the media about various aspects of the team. Among them were the intense physical drills that JJ Redick is making the team go through near the end of practice, which included multiple full-court sprints.
“Yeah, I told JJ about a week or two ago, I said if we all hate you, but we all hate you collectively, that’s great. So as long as we’re together in it, you know what I mean? Obviously, no one wants to run at the end of a long practice, but we know the goal we have set for ourselves, and we know what we’re trying to do moving forward. We all embraced it. We all got the run-in, and we all got better for it,” said Vincent as he laughed at how mutual hate can be a positive sign.
Of course, they don’t really hate coach Redick, but after a long practice, no one would enjoy doing those drills willingly. However, the fact that the team could collectively pull together against a hypothetical ‘enemy’ in this situation begins the first step on the road to building a mindset and the habit of pulling together during high-stress situations in games. That is what will build a championship mentality for the team.
Gabe Vincent spent most of last season coming off the bench for the Lakers and averaged 6.4 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 rebounds while shooting 35% from beyond the three-point line. Vincent has earned most of his money through his hard work on the defensive end of the floor. Therefore, these high-pressure drills are helping him push his stamina to the limits.
With an 82-game season approaching, it will be a marathon and not a sprint. It is going to be a slow grind, but Vincent needs to constantly be ready to pull the team together in high-pressure situations as a six-year veteran in the league.
Gabe Vincent Seems Confident In Luka Doncic’s Ability To Lead The Lakers
Following his comments on Redick, the reporters asked Vincent about how offseason activities like attending the Backstreet Boys concert with the team helped break the ice. They also asked him if he saw any difference in Luka Doncic’s mindset from last season coming into this one.
“Yeah, I mean, I think he’s got more comfortable. I think we also saw or received a Luca that had taken more time off from the game. I haven’t asked him, but I’d guess more than probably ever in his life, you know. So, he was working his way back, and he was thrown into the fire, and he handled it with a lot of grace,” said the Nigerian veteran.
“He handled it well. So, we’re excited for him. He had a great summer himself. He competed at a very high level. We’re looking forward to this year,” said Vincent in conclusion.
If the Lakers are hoping to compete for a championship, Doncic plays a key role in making that dream come true for the team. It will be interesting to see how every player on the roster responds to Luka Doncic’s leadership on the floor. But it can be said for certain that if the championship dream needs to stay alive by the end of the season, every player on the roster needs to be on the same page with Doncic as the maximum load bearer for them.
