What coach Ham expects of Gabe Vincent after his long on-court absence

The biggest excuse coach Darvin Ham has had this season has been about his players being unavailable due to injuries and because of that not being able to find his right starting lineup and develop chemistry between his team, even though Vincent has been the only notable absence in the last few games.

Gabe Vincent became the biggest signing for the LA Lakers in the offseason, unfortunately, he has only been available six games of the 32 the teams have played so far due to a knee issue that has taken Vincent to be off the court that long.

“It’s definitely impactful,” Ham said after practice on Wednesday. “But on the flip side of that, we’re pleased that now there’s gonna be a huge light at the end of the tunnel in terms of getting his stuff cleaned up. We’re gonna check on him, nurse him back to health, and get ready for a big contribution once he’s cleared.”

Vincent is expected to be re-evaluated in eight weeks, which would allow him to get back in the groove going into the playoffs should things go right. Vincent is surely frustrated at how things have gone, but Ham feels that surgery, and completely putting this issue behind him, is a good thing overall.

Coach Ham's expectations on Gabe Vincent

“Yeah, I told him in OKC, you got to do what you got to do so you can put this behind you,” the Lakers coach added. “That’s the biggest thing. Trying to manage it and do different things, have these little micro-setbacks, it’s too much. So the fact that we could go ahead and get it alleviated and put it behind us is great for him and great for us.” Darvin Ham expects to finally see his complete roster to make a quality jump, but a trade could happen sooner than the point guard's return.