Desperately needing some length, youth and energy for their frontline, the Los Angeles Lakers took a flyer on 6-foot-9 forward Wenyen Gabriel in early March.
In three NBA seasons, he had little experience, and with a two-way contract, some thought his time would be mainly limited to the G League’s South Bay Lakers.
Instead, Gabriel gained meaningful playing time with the big league Lakers, and he made a nice impression on recently fired head coach Frank Vogel.
The 25-year-old talked about how he enjoyed playing for the Purple and Gold this year, albeit for only about six weeks.
Via Lakers Nation:
“I didn’t come with crazy expectations, I was just trying to carve out a role and look for opportunities to play and show what I could do,” Gabriel said.
“I tried to help the team fill a void, bring my energy, length, athleticism and different things like that to the team. Just trying to get some wins, happy we did get a few during that time, I wish we could’ve gotten some more though. But just being able to play with obviously my former teammate Malik, that was great to be in the same locker room as him, and then to play with great players like Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Westbrook and to learn from them all the time. So I think overall it’s been a positive experience for me.”
As he received more and more time on the court, it became increasingly clear that Gabriel wasn’t just some athletic specimen who was merely taking up space in the rotation.
He showed good aptitude when it came to rebounding, defending, moving without the ball and finishing around the rim.
By adding strength to his frame and more consistency on his outside shot, Gabriel can be a contributor to the Lakers for years to come.
They signed him to a standard contract near the end of the schedule, and he will remain with them next season, assuming they pick up his team option.
