Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Grabs eight rebounds in bench role
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Gabriel compiled six points (2-3 FG, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one block in 20 minutes in Sunday's 111-105 win over the Magic.
Gabriel has fallen back below 30 minutes over the past two games with Anthony Davis making his return from a one-game respite for his lingering right foot injury, but the former has played well enough to maintain a role as the Lakers' top reserve in the frontcourt ahead of Rui Hachimura. Though he may continue to have some usefulness as a streamer for rebounds and defensive stats if he's able to maintain a 20-plus-minute role moving forward, Gabriel's contributions in other areas aren't strong enough to make him a roster-worthy player in 12-team category leagues.
Gabriel logged six points (2-5 FG, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, two steals and one assist across 33 minutes during Wednesday's 114-110 loss to the Rockets.
Gabriel tallied 33 minutes Wednesday -- his highest mark of the campaign -- due largely to the absence of Anthony Davis (foot). Gabriel responded by crashing the boards, grabbing a career-best 14 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. While his work on the glass helped make up for Davis' absence, Gabriel couldn't come close to matching The Brow's offensive impact, scoring in single digits for his 15th straight game dating back to early February.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Grabs 10 boards in win
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Gabriel chipped in five points (2-7 FG, 1-2 FT) and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes during Wednesday's 123-117 victory over the Thunder.
Mo Bamba got the start at center with Anthony Davis (foot) out of action, but Gabriel still saw his most action in nearly three weeks. The big man made the most of his minutes, pulling down a season-high 10 rebounds. Davis could be back for Los Angeles' next game, and with Bamba now in the fold, Gabriel doesn't appear to have a path to enough playing time to make him a factor in fantasy.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Secures seven boards
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Gabriel logged seven points (2-4 FG, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds and two assists over 13 minutes during Monday's 127-115 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Gabriel played only 13 minutes Monday, but he nonetheless managed to lead Los Angeles with five offensive boards. The big man received less minutes than Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura (22 each), which suggests that his days of logging 20-plus minutes per game -- as he did in five straight contests in mid-January -- are likely behind him. Gabriel's playing time could diminish even further when the recently acquired Mo Bamba (suspension) joins the fold.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Encroaching on Bryant's role
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Gabriel had 14 points (5-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal across 24 minutes before fouling out of Monday's 140-132 victory over Houston.
Gabriel provided Los Angeles with excellent production off the bench, leading the team in rebounds and nearly securing a double-double. He added a pair of blocks in the victory to tie Thomas Bryant for the team lead in the category. While Bryant remains the team's starting center, Gabriel has been outperforming him of late, averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 boards, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals over his past three games versus Bryant's 9.0/6.0/1.0/0.0 marks across the same span. Gabriel has logged more minutes than his counterpart in each of those games, a clear indication that the Lakers are gaining trust in his ability to contribute on a nightly basis.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Steps up with solid outing
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Gabriel ended Thursday's 119-115 double-overtime loss to the Mavericks with 14 points (6-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals over 33 minutes.
Gabriel came into the contest averaging just 6.8 points and 3.6 boards over 16.4 minutes in five January contests, but he well exceeded each of those marks against Dallas. The big man logged a season-high 33 minutes and posted his best scoring effort since he notched 15 points against San Antonio in late November. Gabriel also swatted two shots for the second straight game, and he was on the court down the stretch and into overtime while starter Thomas Bryant sat on the bench. It's uncertain if that decision will have any implications moving forward, but Gabriel may have earned himself a few extra minutes per game -- at least until Anthony Davis (foot) returns -- given his strong showing.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Contract guaranteed by Lakers
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The Lakers have guaranteed Gabriel's contract for the remainder of the season, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Gabriel has come off the bench in all but two of his appearances this season but has garnered fairly consistent playing time for the Lakers. He's averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game, and it's relatively unsurprising to see the team guarantee his contract for the rest of the year.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Gets big minutes in return
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Gabriel (shoulder) finished with four points (2-5 FG) and six rebounds in 27 minutes in Monday's 130-104 loss to the Suns.
The Lakers weren't hesitant about easing Gabriel back from a seven-game absence due to the shoulder issue, as the 25-year-old ended up seeing his most minutes of the season in the blowout loss. The absences of Anthony Davis (foot), LeBron James (ankle), Russell Westbrook (foot), Austin Reaves (ankle) and Juan Toscano-Anderson (ankle) left more playing time available for all of the Lakers' remaining active players, but expect Gabriel's minutes to trend down if all of James, Westbrook and Reaves are cleared for Wednesday's game in Sacramento, as is anticipated. The long-term absence of Davis is likely to be more beneficial to Thomas Bryant than it is for Gabriel, who is expected to remain a fixture on the second unit now that he's healthy again.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Removed from injury report
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Gabriel (shoulder) will be available for Monday's game at Phoenix, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SporstNet reports.
Gabriel missed a string of seven straight games, including Sunday's win over Washington, due to a left shoulder sprain, but he's been given the green light and will likely be in the rotation Monday with LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (foot) both out.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Still sidelined
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Gabriel (shoulder) will miss Sunday's game against the Wizards, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Gabriel will miss a seventh consecutive game due to a sprain in his left shoulder, however, optimism has been expressed that he is near a return. With Anthony Davis (foot) and Juan Toscano-Anderson (ankle) also out, Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown and Damian Jones may see more action in the frontcourt. Gabriel's next chance to play comes Monday in Phoenix.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Out Friday
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Gabriel (shoulder) will not suit up for Friday's game against the Nuggets, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Coach Darvin Ham noted Gabriel should be considered day-to-day moving forward and is expected to return soon. However, Friday will not be the day, as the 25-year-old is already ruled out for the contest. His next opportunity to take the floor will come on Sunday versus the Wizards in the first leg of a back-to-back.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Considered day-to-day
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Lakers coach Darvin ham said Gabriel (shoulder) is nearing a return from his injury and is day-to-day moving forward, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Gabriel has missed the past five games due to a left shoulder sprain. Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones have enjoyed extended playing time in his absence. If Gabriel is unable to suit up Friday, his next chance to play will be Sunday's matchup with the Wizards.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Out again Tuesday
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Gabriel (shoulder) won't play in Tuesday's game against the Celtics, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Gabriel hasn't taken the floor since Dec. 4 due to a left shoulder sprain, and he'll miss yet another contest while on the mend. His next chance at a return will arrive Friday against the Nuggets.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Out at least one week
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Gabriel (shoulder) will be re-evaluated in approximately one week and will miss at least the Lakers' next four games, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Gabriel may have suffered his sprained left shoulder during the Lakers' win over the Wizards on Sunday, when he was limited to nine minutes. The 25-year-old has been a rotation player for the Lakers this season, but his playing time has dropped recently following the recent return of LeBron James from a five-game absence.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Won't play Tuesday
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Gabriel (shoulder) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Cleveland, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Gabriel will miss his first game since Oct. 23 due to a shoulder injury. He's averaging 13.6 minutes off the bench this season, so his absence will likely open room for Juan Toscano-Anderson and/or Troy Brown to garner slightly increased roles.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Questionable Tuesday
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Gabriel is questionable for Tuesday's contest against the Cavaliers with left shoulder soreness, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Kentucky product has appeared in 19 consecutive games for the Lakers but is questionable for Tuesday's contest against the Cavaliers. If Gabriel is forced to sit out, his next chance to return comes Wednesday in Toronto.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Puts together solid night
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Gabriel notched 15 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 22 minutes during Saturday's 143-138 win over the Spurs.
Gabriel had been held to four total points over his previous three contests prior to Saturday's game, but he saw a sizable uptick in minutes with Anthony Davis (calf) out of commission. He also swatted away a pair of shots, marking his first blocks since Nov. 11 against the Kings. Gabriel has scored in double figures twice so far in November and has averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds over that stretch (12 games).
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Efficient outing versus Pistons
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Gabriel contributed 15 points (5-5 FG, 5-5 FT) and seven rebounds in 18 minutes during Friday's 128-121 victory over the Pistons.
Gabriel not only reached double digits scoring for the first time all season but also added a season-high seven boards despite playing no more minutes than he has of late. Five free-throw attempts certainly aided his effort in this one, and there's nothing notable regarding his shot volume to anticipate repeat performances on this scale. Gabriel can be left on waiver wires in most formats.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Coming off bench Sunday
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Gabriel isn't starting Sunday's game against the Nets, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Gabriel started Friday against the Kings and logged eight points, two rebounds, an assist and two blocks in 19 minutes during the loss. He'll come off the bench while Austin Reaves draws the start Sunday.
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Lakers' Wenyen Gabriel: Starting Friday
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Gabriel will enter the starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Kings, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Gabriel enters the starting lineup in place of LeBron James (adductor), joining Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown and Anthony Davis. In Gabriel's only start of the season, he tallied four points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 24 minutes of action. However, he lost minutes due to a blowout in that start, so Gabriel may be in line for a larger workload Friday.
