“We just followed [De’Aaron] Fox’s lead today,” said Kentucky’s Wenyen Gabriel. “I know he took that matchup personal with Lonzo Ball. He just showed he’s a better point guard today.”
If rewarded the opportunity, Gabriel would instantly be a Sacramento fan favorite.
Back when they were teammates at Kentucky, the connection between Gabriel and De’Aaron Fox was palpable. Now, as Gabriel finishes up his first NBA Summer League, the big man aims to find his footing with his teammate once again.
On Friday, the Kings finished their summer by beating the Golden State Warriors, 69-67. Gabriel, who saw an uptick in minutes since the injury to Marvin Bagley III, finished with seven points, 10 rebounds and two assists.
But, it was one particular roll to the basket that had basketball fans buzzing in Las Vegas and on #NBATwitter.
Gabriel caught the bounce pass, faced up with the Warriors’ Marcus Derrickson and threw down the soaring dunk for the immediate SportsCenter Top 10 candidate.
It’s plays like Gabriel’s dunk that has many evaluators wondering if he’ll join the Kings for training camp or on a two-way contract. Gabriel has length, brings constant energy and can play multiple positions. He’s also shown willingness to step outside the three-point arc if necessary.
Gabriel already has a connection with Fox stemming from their college days. Time will only tell if their connection will continue together with the Kings.