It’s very puzzling. Gabriel’s stats this year are nearly identical to last year’s, and he hasn’t started a single game. I think, in part, he struggles from having a little too much talent. It puts him in between positions and gives him more discretion than he has the basketball IQ to handle. He shoots it well from deep, but isn’t an amazing shooter. He’s 6’10,” but isn’t particularly sturdy. He has better handles than most guys his size, but not better than most guards, and he’s no Ben Simmons. The result is a lot of confusion. He passes when he should shoot, shoots when should drive, and drives when he should pass. He doesn’t have a clear picture of what he should be doing at any given time. And he’s often pulled in to play the 5 rather than the 4.
If I were Cal, I would focus on simplifying Wenyen’s instructions. Namely, he should never be allowed to drive. He’s turnover prone, gets scared and confused in the teeth of the defense, and his mid-range shooting game is weak. On offense, Wen should do three things: 1) set screens/P&R, 2) take open threes, 3) crash the offensive boards EVERY time a shot goes up. In M2M defense, he should bias towards the rim on switches, or refuse to switch. He should never take an opposing guard unless it’s an emergency. That way, his lack of foot speed is irrelevant, and his wingspan is put to use. Gabriel is a pretty good blocker.
If he can really focus on his competencies while pruning his weaknesses, Wenyen can be a very nice stretch 4. His ceiling is a Derek Willis that is better in every way. His floor is Skal with worse shooting and blocking.