It's amazing how desperate we are thinking now that this trade could be for the hidden gem/perfect fit Wenyen Gabriel. Let's hope for once it works.
We don't have the starting unit problem solved to just focus on the bench and development. No I don't think Skal has worked yet, there are just some promising signs but there is a long way ahead of him.
Nope, and the numbers back it up. His BPM ranks ahead of everyone except Dame and Whiteside, all while playing out of position.
Article on Gabriel out of high school. https://www.sbnation.com/college-ba...enyen-gabriel-recruiting-kentucky-kansas-duke In June of last year, Gabriel did not have a single D1 scholarship offer. He made the decision to transfer from Trinity High to Wilbraham & Monson Academy, a Massachusetts prep school where he would repeat his junior year. He was, for all intents and purposes, completely off the radar for major college basketball programs. Fortunately for Gabriel, he had one thing on his side: he was still growing. Gabriel reportedly shot four inches over the last few years, growing to a legit 6'9. After spending his entire basketball life on the perimeter, he now had the size of a power forward. His newfound size and the skill he's always possessed finally coalesced this summer on the grassroots circuit. Suddenly, Gabriel is the fastest-rising prospect in the country. Gabriel's first D1 scholarship offer came from New Hampshire one year ago. Shortly after, Ed Cooley and Providence offered him a full ride. From there, Rice, St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island offered. Fast forward to this weekend, where Gabriel's starring role on adidas' Mass Rivals team earned him offers from two of college hoops' most prestigious powerhouses, Kentucky and Kansas. By the time the rankings are settled, expect Gabriel to be a top 20 prospect. His inside-outside game, explosive finishing ability and NBA length (reported to have a 7'1 wingspan) make him an ideal stretch four at the next level. It's too soon to speculate on where he goes from there, but there's a lot of long-term upside to his game moving forward. Gabriel put the finishing touches on his incredible summer this past weekend in Las Vegas for the final days of the July evaluation period. He took Mass Rivals to the title game of the Adidas Uprising event, shining during a televised game on ESPN in front of every major college coach in the country. Gabriel finished the game with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and justified his meteoric rise in the process. He still only weighs about 190 pounds, which means adding strength will be his biggest focus moving forward. But from a scouting perspective, his combination of size, athleticism and skill gives him a chance to be a great player one day. 6'9 power forwards at the high school level aren't supposed to be comfortable shooting threes, but Gabriel isn't your typical four. Growing up as a wing helped create his touch from the outside, and that shooting stroke is going to be one of his biggest assets moving forward. Gabriel has said that he patterns his game after Kevin Durant. Yes, a lot of high school players say that (as a rule of thumb, every guard says they want to play like Russell Westbrook, every skinny big man says they want to play like KD). Part of what makes Durant so great is his ball handling ability, and that's been a point of emphasis for Gabriel this summer. If he can consistently attack closeouts like this, there's going to be a bright future for him in this sport: While Gabriel has talked about wanting to stick on the perimeter, it's his explosive finishing ability around the rim that makes him an ideal stretch four. Anyone who pays attention to the NBA realizes the game has gone from a two-post standard to a four-out league, which means Gabriel's time at power forward will likely be spent facing up instead of in the post. At the four, he'll still have opportunities to play around the basket. When a guard creates for him, he can flush home chances at the rim without a problem: When Kentucky and Kansas come calling, you know the hype is real. The Wildcats desperately need help in the frontcourt, as it's possible only New Zealand standout Tai Wynyard returns from this year's crop of big men. Kansas has two seniors in the frontcourt for this year in Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor, and could very well lose Cheick Diallo to the draft after only one year. Duke -- reportedly Gabriel's favorite team growing up -- may have Harry Giles in the mix a year from now, but Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee will be gone. The point is that every program always needs big men, especially ones who have the perimeter skill and length that Gabriel possesses. Gabriel may be a new addition to the class of 2016's elite crop of talents, but his upside makes it certain he's not just a flash in the pan. In many ways, Gabriel is an ideal prospect for the way the game is moving. It just took him some extra time to get there.
While I think Ariza will help and there were obvious financial motivators, I wouldn’t be surprised if Olshey also targeted Gabriel. He fits his MO and, in theory, also fits Stotts system as a stretch four. Watching his G league games (because I’m sick like that) and I bet he could play some three as well. Shit maybe even center in a small ball lineup. He’s a fluid athlete and looks competent on both ends. There are minutes to be had immediately, so hopefully he gets a good look.
Actually i look at him as another prospect that has some potential at very little cost. Why shouldn't anyone like that?
He will most likely become another scrub we will get overly excited about only to see him waived in a few months. Baldwin, Papagiannis etc.
It’d probably be more fair to compare Gabriel to guys Olshey traded for rather than dudes he signed off the street.
We are desperate! As rolls of the dice go, I'll take it. We got rid of two known crappy players, got one old but decent player in Ariza, one prospect, and one player we can keep recycling in trades for Skal-level players. G-League stats:
I haven't looked at the numbers, but didn't somebody from the Kings have to be included in order to make a legal trade? In other words, maybe Gabriel wasn't an Olshey target but just filler the Kings chose? I also don't know if any of Portland's DPE was used in this deal as for Gabriel, I think people are getting a little too excited about his potential, but there's not much else to get excited about right now. Basketball Insiders says he has a 1.9M QO next season, so he could have been just another cost saving move. If the Blazers can sign him to a minimum salary next year, they fill a roster spot with a cheap player. He'll probably cost a lot more than what a 2nd round pick would cost but that's still a low price
