Gabe Vincent was only known to the most devoted NBA fans until recently. However, the Miami Heat’s foundation has gradually built its name and vaulted to the centre of the stage in the 2023 Playoffs, when it played a critical role in helping the Spoelstras reach the Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
As with many other Miami Heat players, Vincent’s NBA career has been markedly different from that of other notable league players, having earned a spot after many years of G League or Two-Way contracts.
Vincent, who plays for the Nigerian national team at the FIBA level (he competed in the last two Olympic Games and the World Cup), has had a brief stint at the highest level, and it is now time to learn more about his background and achievements.
Who is Gabe Vincent? Miami Heat’s base striker
Gabe Vincent, born on June 14, 1996 in Stockton, California, rose to prominence in the early stages of American university basketball in the mid-twentieth century, with a stellar career at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
All competed in four NCAA tournaments, each with a double-digit point total, to finish with averages of 12.8 points, 2.77 assists, and 38% in triples across 113 games. However, despite his strong performance, the 1.91m escolta was not drafted in 2018 and had to make his way through the G League.
His first season in the Development League (2018-2019) was won by his hometown team, the Stockton Kings. Francia, who started slowly (8,8 points as a rookie) but began to shine in 2019-2020: she played 20 games and averaged 23,7 points and 42% on three-pointers to get her first NBA opportunity.
Who made the decision? Miami Heat is a franchise that specialises in spotting hidden talent. And Vincent hasn’t stopped thinking about it since.
The Californian’s career has been characterised by a steady and steady rise. Every season, he averaged more minutes, titles, and points than the previous one, until he reached the current season of 2022-2023, when he had career highs of 9,4 units and 25,9 minutes as Spoelstra’s starting quarterback.
Obviously, these numbers pale in comparison to what he accomplished in the 2023 Playoffs, where he helped Miami reach the Finals with averages of 13,1 points, 3,9 assists, and an excellent 39% in triples during the previous three rounds, filling the role of anotador/tirador de la base that could have been left vacant by Tyler Herro’s injury at the start of the season.
What has been your highest point up to this point? Part 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, when he scored 29 points and went 11-14 from the field, including a 6-9 mark in triples.
Similarly to Caleb Martin, Vincent has evolved into one of Spoelstra’s X-factors in the playoffs, not only serving as a shooter but also providing some acrobatics with the ball in his hands. In fact, he is Miami’s second-leading scorer via pick-and-roll actions (almost 6 per game in the postseason).
Miami’s appearance in the Finals is supported not only by the performance of its figures, but also – and most importantly – by the high production of its complementary names. And among them, Gabe Vincent’s is one of the best.
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