Wenyen Gabriel Discussion

I think there's value in both, youth poses the chance that you can develop them and get more out of them. But then they price out of that contract, especially if you have them on a 1 year deal. Vets are typically better at their one thing because they've been doing it for 10+ years. It's all about balance. Balance between young and old and a balance of specialties. Rob failed miserably at any sense of balance with these mins.

The exceptions to the limited vets are the ring chasing former stars (Melo) or the traditional big (Rob just picked the worst ones on the market). A big like Biyombo could have been had for the min or I think McGee's next contract will be a min and neither of those are as limited as most vet min guards or forwards.

 

Gabriel is shooting 25% on FGs as a laker

Why do we Laker fans always overrate our new players?

 

Even if he was shooting 12%, he's more deserving of minutes than anyone not named Stan, AR, Melo, Monk, and Bron. Effort, energy, and motor goes a long way. He's better than his current %

 

Tied his career high in the 1st Q. Liked the defensive efforts too.

Hopefully the ankle is OK after the adrenaline wears off.

Let's lock him up for next year.

 

I liked his perimeter D on Siakam too. He was picking him up as far as the half court line. PS typically bested him in the paint (as he should) just because he's a much better player.

 

He looks like Luold, but has achieved more for the Lakers in 3 games than Dung has ever done

 

Kid looked great and is seizing his opportunity.

 

You always NEED cost controlled role players who are still developing on your team, especially on one where three guys take up the lion’s share of the cap.

 

Rob continuing to impress with in season pickups in spite of the debilitating and handcuffing limitations he's facing

 

we should sign him to a stan deal. there's no downside other than the buss finances. if you have to cut him, you can cut him. if he pans out, you now have another quasi-rotation player on a vet min.

 

"quasi"-rotation player: dude he's taking minutes away from Vogel's safety blanket in Bradley. He's an all-star in the vogel mind of play hard and do what the coach wants you to do

 

He and Stan cranked it up in the final 5 minutes. Each with a big stop and a bucket. The only complaint with him (and Stan too) is foul trouble. End of the day, with a balanced roster, you have enough depth to combat them playing their energetic, foul prone level of play. Sure I wish he'd hit some of those open 3s like he did a few nights ago, but if he hit them nightly then he would cost a lot more and wouldn't be a Laker.

Keep him. Please.

 

Love his defensive intensity and the fact that he’s tall and not over the hill. That’s pretty much the baseline in order to be better than more than half of our roster.

 

this is part of why i said "quasi". like, if these are your heavy rotation guys at the 3/4, you better have some serious stars. but they beat the hell out of a full bevy of aging vet mins getting those minutes.

and i'm pro-veteran bench players. just not all of them. on a star-laden team, you need a balance of young and old guys. bkn and philly did better than us in this dept, i think, though bkn's general results are only marginally better.

 

He needs a jumper.

Other than that, I like him.

 

I hate the continued parallels to the 2012-2013 season… but he almost reminds me of Earl Clark.

Definitely think we should just cut Ariza and sign Gabriel to a real deal, including team option for next season.