Anthony Davis has been playing at an MVP level during the 2022-23 season, and a large reason why is because he has been exclusively playing center under head coach Darvin Ham.
Ham has rediscovered Davis’s potential as a two-way terror and the Los Angeles Lakers have benefitted from the star big man’s return to dominance. However, while Davis has been unlocked playing center, he has still thrived next to another big alongside him.
Wenyen Gabriel was carving out a bigger role in the rotation as Davis’s running mate as well as the sole center in bench lineups because of his high motor on both ends of the floor. Gabriel was playing well to begin the team’s six-game road trip before he was ruled out of their remaining four games with a shoulder injury.
Fortunately, the injury didn’t seem serious at the time and he is reportedly set to make his return to the lineup when the Lakers play the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes:
Lost in the shuffle of all the trade talk was that @ChrisBHaynes reported yesterday that Wenyen Gabriel is on pace to return tomorrow night against the Nuggets.#Lakers have missed him the last few games while he's dealt with a shoulder injury.
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) December 15, 2022
Darvin Ham also gave an update on Gabriel after practice on Thursday, confirming he is trending in the right direction, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
Wenyen Gabriel is nearing a return from his shoulder injury. Darvin Ham says he’s day-to-day at this point.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 15, 2022
Getting Gabriel back will be a huge help for Los Angeles, who has been forced to play even smaller in his absence. Thomas Bryant filled in as the backup big when Gabriel was out, but Ham largely used three-guard lineups to close games.
The timing is good for Gabriel and the Lakers considering they will be going up against the reigning NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic. Even in the modern NBA where traditional bigs aren’t as important, it’s still crucial to have size in the frontcourt and Gabriel will help in that regard.
It remains to be seen how much Ham will choose to play Gabriel in his first game back from injury, but it’s always a good thing for the Lakers to get players back and be at full strength.
Darvin Ham happy with Wenyen Gabriel’s play but wants to continue building his confidence
Gabriel has won over his teammates and the fans with his energy off the bench, earning Ham’s trust in the process. Ham has spoken glowingly of the young big man since becoming head coach and while he is happy with how he has played so far, he wants to continue building Gabriel’s confidence.
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