As one of the league's most watched teams, the Lakers have experienced a serious decline in the overall competitiveness of the team after Zhan Mei joined forces to win the championship in the first season, especially after betting on the Big Three this season, and the team is even working hard for playoff playoff places.
And because the team has overdrawn too many future chips in the past few seasons, the team still gave up the mid-season trading adjustment in the case of poor conditions.
Only a small number of personnel reinforcements were made, with jordan jr. and Dunbua cuts and DJ Augustine and Gabriel signing.
Among them, DJ Augustine, as a veteran of the Rockets, has received more attention from the outside world, and he has signed a formal contract with the Lakers.
Gabriel, as a league fringe player, only got a two-way contract, but this still surprised him, and the outside world naturally did not pay much attention to the player.
But after the debut of the two, the outside world suddenly found that in the current system of the Lakers, DJ Augustine wanted to play a big role is unlikely, because he did not defend at all, but Gabriel, the role player, may shine.
In the game against the Clippers, Gabriel was given the opportunity to play as a substitute, and although he only played for 4 minutes, in the limited time, Gabriel showed his full ability.
The first was 1-of-2 from three-point range, followed by two frontcourt rebounds, which allowed him to deliver the team's second-high plus-minus of +8 despite the team's big score loss.
To this end, the US media "Lakeshowlife" is also very optimistic about this new signing, believing that the Lakers have once again found a treasure, and Gabriel will provide three major help for the Lakers.
The first big help: rotation depth at position 4
Due to the injury problem of the thick eyebrow brother, the rotation depth of the No. 4 position has always been one of the problems that have plagued the Lakers this season.
The only No. 4 players they can trust are Ariza and Anthony, who have played well this season, playing the offense and projection that the Lakers need, but he has never been a trustworthy defender.
Ariza was previously a qualified 3D player, but as he grew older, his pace slipped badly this season and he didn't play the role of a 3D player at all.
Don't look at Gabriel as a fringe player in the league, and teams such as the Clippers and nets have not been given a chance.
But his style of play is very suitable for the current Lakers, first of all, he can provide the vitality that veterans such as Anthony and Ariza lack.
Although he was no better than Anthony and Ariza, he bounced and fought better, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game, which was also reflected in his debut, when he grabbed 2 frontcourt rebounds in 4 minutes.
The second big help: space capabilities
Because of Westbrook's presence, the Lakers are in great need of role players to provide spatial capabilities, and Gabriel can provide this aspect of the ability.
So far in his career, Gabriel has shot 35.8 percent from three-point range, and in his NBA career, he has shot 57 three-pointers, shooting 36.8 percent.
And after the increase in number of games, his three-point feel has improved significantly, shooting more than 40% of three-pointers in 21 games for the Pelicans.
The third big help: qualified defense
This is the best place for Gabriel to not only deliver a steady shot, but also deliver solid defensive performances.
He's not a defensive expert, but his level must be above the league average, which is enough for the Lakers.
Referring to Stanley Johnson, who previously dug for treasure, before joining the Lakers, he was also a role player, but his attributes were similar to Gabriel's, so he was reused by Vogel and gradually gained a stable rotation position.