Cavs: 3 takeaways for Mfiondu Kabengele from Summer League Game 1

Kabengele is still very raw offensively but could be a devastating rim-runner.

The third-year big still doesn’t look comfortable on the offensive end and appears very raw in general there. He ended the game with a grand total of three field goal attempts, all of which came from beyond the arc, and sank only one. His career percentage from long-range range is just 31.4%  and while that could improve over time, it’s not a skill he will likely be able to improve in-game with such limited opportunity.

With that being the case, an area that Kabengele could possibly thrive in is as a rim-runner. While he didn’t get any opportunities to do so in this contest, the ability is there and was showcased a bit in-game. He could often be seen screen-setting and rolling to the rim, all the while appearing uncertain of whether or not he’d receive the ball.

During one particular possession, teammate Lamar Stevens was able to score the basket because of a very effective screen set by Kabengele. On said possession, the two closest defenders were keyed in on the big man, which in turn cleared a wide-open path to the rim for Stevens. That one play alone should be one the Cavs look back to on film as a reference point for what this young man can do.

Kabengele will not come close to averaging the number of minutes he got against Houston (28.4) but he should be factored into the discussions for the rotation moving forward if he continues to display these attributes.