The Los Angeles Lakers had a rough 2021-2022 season. There wasn't a lot to look forward to at the end of last season except the play of big man Wenyen Gabriel.
Gabriel didn't start the season with the purple and gold, but he immediately became a favorite among the fans with his rebounding and energy on both sides of the court. The Lakers signed the 25-year-old to a two-way contract in March 2022 and eventually converted Gabriel's two-way contract into a standard contract for the rest of the season and into this season.
Gabriel has been a common fixture in the lineup and has shown he belongs in the NBA after going undrafted in 2018.
Wenyen spoke with LA Times writer Broderick Turner and said what he'd done well to fit with the team as their backup big.
“And just playing with a lot of energy and playing with a higher IQ and understanding how to play with different players. Like today, today was my first time playing with AD in a while and I think those minutes looked good and hopefully later down the line we get more opportunities for that as well.”
The Lakers suffered a gut-wrenching loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, and it wasn't because of Gabriel.
He logged nine points and 11 boards and was a +5 on Friday. The real issue came at the free throw line, as the team went 19-31, resulting in 61%.
Nonetheless, Gabriel has been more than solid for LA and will continue to do all he can to push the Lakers into the postseason. From going undrafted to playing a key role in the NBA's glory franchise, what a story.
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