Gabe Vincent Says ‘Not One Thing’ Started on Time With Hawks Until He Said Something

Even though veteran guard Gabe Vincent had a short stint with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2025-26 season, it was an eventful one.

Vincent came over in a February trade and only appeared in 24 games before the playoffs arrived. But in that span, the Hawks went from a sub-.500 team to a playoff squad behind the strength of an 11-game winning streak.

The turnaround might not have been random. During an appearance on "The Rookie & The Vet," Vincent explained that he noticed a troubling theme within a couple weeks of being traded to Atlanta. And once he called out the problem, things seemed to change.

"I'm in the coach's office two weeks in, saying, 'Aye, we got a problem here. Not one thing has started on time. Not practice, not film, not the plane leaving, not the bus, not treatment,'" Vincent said. "I was like, 'This a problem. I'm sorry if I'm the first one to tell y'all, but this ain't gonna (expletive) work.' And we make some changes, and we start fining guys, and me personally, I don't think it's any mistake that after certain things get pointed out, we end up going on a win streak."

After a loss on Feb. 20, the Hawks were 27-31 and stuck in play-in territory in the Eastern Conference. At that time, Vincent wasn't seeing the floor, as he'd racked up several DNPs and made just one appearance since the trade.

That changed on Feb. 22, as he finally saw some rotation minutes. That was also the same day the winning streak began.

The Hawks strung together 11 consecutive victories to ditch their losing record and reach a 38-31 mark. Vincent appeared in every game during the streak and was a steady presence in the rotation the rest of the season. Even after the winning streak ended, the Hawks stayed hot, ultimately finishing the regular season 10 games over .500 and securing the No. 6 seed in the playoffs.

In the postseason, Atlanta fell in the first round, but not without putting up a fight against the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. The Hawks were the only team to push the Knicks to six games.

While Vincent's time with Atlanta may be over now, it's entirely possible that he left a positive impact on the team in a way that could carry over. If the Hawks truly did have issues with punctuality and staying on schedule, those are factors that can impact a team's overall culture, and it's admirable that Vincent wanted to correct it.

The 30-year-old likely picked up some good habits during his time with the Miami Heat (who are known for their culture) and Los Angeles Lakers (one of the league's most legendary franchises). Hopefully, the Hawks can stay on schedule this coming season and beyond, even if Vincent isn't around to help.

A free agent, Vincent is still trying to find his next home in the league as training camp creeps closer.