The Los Angeles Lakers season has come to an abrupt end. A 4-1 defeat by the Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs has ensured the Lakers will be getting an early jump on their offseason vacation plans. It’s the second time in two seasons that Denver has ended LeBron James’ dream of winning another championship.
According to former Laker Nick Young, the Purple and Gold’s failure can be traced back to a roster move they made during the summer. He believes the decision to add Gabe Vincent and move on from Dennis Schroder is what cost his former team against the Nuggets.
“If laker keep Dennis Schroder instead of Gabe Vincent we winning that series .. pls dnt make these same off season decisions,” Young posted on X.
Vincent’s addition was seen as a shrewd move at the time. He had just helped lead the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals. He was a reliable backup guard who played well on both sides of the ball. However, injury issues derailed his season before it got going, while Schroder made a significant impact for the Toronto Raptors.
If laker keep Dennis Schroder instead of Gabe Vincent we winning that series .. pls dnt make these same off season decisions
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) April 30, 2024
Vincent has another two years remaining on his contract with the Lakers. As such, he has plenty of time to prove why the front office decided to add him to the rotation. Or, he could be used as a makeweight in a potential trade during the summer. Either way, his addition didn’t have the desired effect, and now his debut season with the Lakers will be deemed a failure.
