It is difficult to find anything positive about the Lakers‘ nightmare season, especially after the All-Star break. The lone silver lining might be how well D.J. Augustin and Wenyen Gabriel fit into their roles and possibly showed that the roster could be improved if they add more unselfish players like those two.
When the Lakers added D.J. Augustin and Wenyen Gabriel on the buyout market late this season it did not look like they would help much. They ended up playing better than expected and gave them a lift at their positions, but it still was not enough to even make the play-in game.
Both of them played well enough to wonder if they should be brought back next season. Their play was also an indictment on the Lakers’ front office because they should have traded for players that fit those molds sooner.
The Lakers needed a backup point guard all season that could run the second unit and consistently hit open 3-point shots and Augustin fit that build for the most part. They also needed a bigger wing defender that had a high motor and Gabriel was able to be that guy for them in spurts.
It was really telling in the game against the Pelicans last week how much the Lakers trusted both Augustin and Gabriel. In a game that was a must-win that head coach Frank Vogel called a playoff game for them, Gabriel and Augustine were in the rotation and guys who had played for them all year like Austin Reaves and Talen Horton-Tucker were not.
Gabriel only played a little over four minutes and Augustin played just over 16, but neither one of them made very much of an impact. Yet the fact that they even saw the floor should speak to how valuable they have been down the stretch this season.
There are two questions the Lakers should be asking themselves about D.J. Augustin and Wenyen Gabriel.
What grade should both of them receive for their play since they have been signed? Should they be brought back for next season?
Their expectations when signing were taken into consideration when giving a letter grade. Skillset and capability of maintaining their same level of play moving forward helped answer the question if they should be brought back or not.