Gabe Vincent says the Lakers must have better spacing on offense

After some offensive struggles in the Lakers’ loss against the Nets, Gabe Vincent talked about a collective need to improve spacing.

The Lakers played an ugly game on Monday against the Nets. Not only did they lose a winnable game, but the offense, in particular, looked rough.

Los Angeles went long stretches without field goals, committed 17 turnovers and struggled to generate good looks from its half-court offense.

After the loss, guard Gabe Vincent commended Luka Dončić for taking responsibility for the offensive miscommunication but made it clear that this was a team effort.

“I definitely appreciate him taking ownership,” Vincent said. “But the same way you guard a pick and roll with all five people, you score with all five. Even if my job is to just space, I have to be in the right spot.

“And then when you add doubles and people running at you, we have to get to good outlets so he can make it an easier read. Obviously, we don’t want to take his greatness for granted. He makes tough passes all the time but he shouldn’t have to all the time. We can do a better job as a collective and be a better outlet for each other and be there for each other more.”

With LeBron James back in LA rehabbing his groin, the Lakers can expect teams during this road trip to follow a game plan similar to what the Nets concocted.

There will be a lot of doubling of Luka, hoping to rush him and muck up the Lakers’ offense. Not only does Luka have to be better at getting out of those situations, but his teammates also have to help by hitting their shots, crashing the boards and setting better ball screens.

Vincent is right that it takes a team to score. With the Lakers shorthanded right now, everyone has to be on the same page and execute at a high level for them to earn wins.

Things won’t get easier from here on out, with upcoming matchups against teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets, but the objective remains the same: maintain good spacing, generate good looks, make your shots and crash the glass when the ball is in the air.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.