Celtics ‘Should’ Keep 25-Year-Old Former First-Round Pick: NBA Coach

Mfiondu Kabengele, now with the Celtics' summer contingent

Getty Mfiondu Kabengele, now with the Celtics' summer contingent

He’s a longshot for the Celtics, no question. A year-and-a-half ago, in the depths of the NBA’s post-bubble scramble to return to the floor, Mfiondu Kabengele had his third-year option with the Clippers—who had taken him with the 27th pick of the first round in 2019—declined, rendering him a free agent after the season.

It is an extremely rare circumstance for a first-rounder to have his team give up on him after two years, and almost always, it means the player has no NBA future. The Clippers were so eager to be rid of Kabengele that they dealt him away during his second season, paying the Kings more than $2 million to take him off their hands. Sacramento then waived him.

But, in a rather small sample size (three games), Kabengele has been one of the best players in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, anchoring the middle for the Celtics with 16.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 61.5% shooting from the field. He has made 37.5% from the 3-point line.

That has opened some eyes around the league. “He’s always been a very good athlete for his size (6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan),” one West coach familiar with Kabengele’s game told Heavy Sports. “But a lot of it with him has been, can he put it together between the ears? Does he want to work hard enough to be in the NBA? He has looked good now, he is playing within himself, he is playing smarter. Boston is a really strong fit for him, he would do well working with someone like Al Horford. They could keep him. They probably should, really.

“But keep it all in mind—he is also 25 and playing against 20-year-olds. And he’s still fouling everything in sight.”


Kabengele Led Way to G-League Title

If there is a single statistical manifestation of Kabengele’s issues as a player, it is his tendency to foul first and ask questions later. Despite his potential as a weak-side shot-blocker, Kabengele too often plays out of control, and he has averaged 5.0 fouls per game in the summer. In the 35 games he got on the floor for the Clippers, he averaged 6.2 fouls per 36 minutes.

He does appear to have honed some of his skills—he is a better passer, he is less awkward with the ball and better with shot selection. But he has got to cut back on mistakes to have any kind of future in the league.

That appeared to be a slim chance before the start of summer league. Kabengele had been waived by the Kings after his trade from the Clippers, and he was eventually picked up by the Cavaliers on a 10-day contract. But he was not kept aboard by the Cavs after the 2020-21 season ended, and was a free agent all last year.

He played 29 games for the G-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he averaged 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, making 59.4% of his shots and 44.0% of his 3-pointers. He was a big part of the Vipers’ run to the G-League championship, putting up 19 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks in the Finals opener, following that with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks.


Can Kabengele Stick With the Celtics?

The Celtics are badly in need of a deep-bench big man behind Al Horford and Robert Williams, who struggled to stay healthy last year. The belief remains that the Celtics will pick up a bargain-rate big man as free agency presses on, but it could be worthwhile for the team to take a long look at a development project like Kabengele, who has ample ability but needs to harness it.

The Celtics have one of their two two-way contract slots open and could give one to a wait-and-see big guy, with Kabengele or Trevion Williams the top candidates. Boston has not had a great track record developing players in the G-League, but team president Brad Stevens is hoping to change that.

 

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