Miami Heat: Season Assessment And Grade For Gabe Vincent
By Max Marshall
Miami Heat: At Worst, Gabe Vincent Is Now A Permanent Reserve Point Guard
Vincent will pick up the opposing ball handler ninety-four feet and give him fits. You can go ask Trae Young how good Vincent is on defense.
Defense
Vincent was really good against the Atlanta Hawks. He did a great job on Young.
He was physical with him and didn’t give him any space to feel comfortable on the court. He was actually solid throughout the entirety of the playoffs, even getting the chance to start in all three series for Miami.
It is huge when your backup point guard can step in and produce at that level for you. The only negative thing about Vincent is that he’s, a bit, on the smaller side.
That leads to, sometimes, having a hard time defending bigger guys. But, as long as he picks up the ball handler full-court and continues to do the little things as he has been, he has a chance to be a deterrent to anyone.
Vincent has found a home in Miami.
Season Grade: A
Vincent had a really strong season this year. As stated, there were many non-believers (including me).
In very short order though, Vincent had the public eating those words. He took on any role they gave him this year, whether it was coming off the bench, starting, or even getting some DNP’s.
But he stayed ready for whatever the team needed at the time. He was willing to give what was needed and remained consistent throughout the entire year.
He showed that he can space the floor and defend at a high level. You would like to see him improve his ball-handling under pressure, while he also can stand to get a little stronger so he doesn’t get pushed around as much.
However and at the very least, Miami has found their backup guard for the future. Gabe Vincent fits the culture, that’s for certain.