Dubai has claimed three consecutive road wins in the EuroLeague, with Mfiondu Kabengele dominating the paint. Who can stop Xavi Pascual’s powerhouse, who is making a compelling case for a place among the best centers in European basketball?
Dubai won in Vitoria (93-79), Milan (101-97) and Munich (107-91), with Mfiondu Kabengele turning every stop on the UAE club’s European travels into another display of efficiency. Three straight road victories, three different defenses and one common denominator: the Canadian center consistently gave Xavi Pascual a focal point around the basket. When required, he also stepped away from the paint to give the opposing coach another headache.
At 29, the former Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics player is enjoying a hugely productive stage of his career. Greek fans got to know him during his time with AEK, but the conversation around his name has moved to another level. At the Middle Eastern club, he has a leading role, the trust of his teammates and every opportunity to establish himself among the EuroLeague’s elite big men.
His numbers through the first seven rounds of the regular season speak for themselves: 14.4 points, 7 rebounds and an 18.3 Performance Index Rating per game. All of that comes in an average of 23:19 on the floor. The Catalan coach makes a point of getting the ball to his center, and Kabengele rewards that faith without needing to play 30-plus minutes.
The most interesting part, however, is how he produces those numbers. The skilled big man has made 30 of 46 two-point attempts, shooting 65.2%, along with 8 of 21 three-pointers (38.1%). Add 17 of 21 free throws, an 81% success rate at the charity stripe, and this is clearly a player whose scoring extends beyond finishes in the paint. Defenses cannot simply sit back near the rim, nor can they regard sending him to the line as a convenient way to end a possession.
His 7 rebounds per game also deserve a closer look: 17 offensive and 32 defensive, for a total of 49. Roughly a third of his boards come at the offensive end, creating second chances for himself and his teammates. That matters for a player who already finishes at a high rate, because his presence remains valuable even when his team’s first attempt fails to find the net.
Kabengele opened this three-game stretch with a strong performance in the 93-79 win over Baskonia. In 20:25, he recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds and a PIR of 23, shooting 5 of 8 on two-pointers, 1 of 3 from beyond the arc and 3 of 3 at the line. A double-double in barely half a game, combining scoring and control of the boards without requiring an excessive number of shots.
A few days later, in the 101-97 victory over Olimpia Milan, he was even more efficient inside. He finished with 18 points in just 18:24, making all six of his two-point attempts, along with 1 of 2 three-pointers and 3 of 6 free throws. His PIR of 18 rounded out a performance in which the Italian defense had no answer for his two-point shooting.
The best, though, came in Munich, where Dubai beat Bayern 107-91. The 29-year-old scored 24 points on 9-of-12 two-point shooting, 1 of 3 from deep and 3 of 3 at the line, reaching a PIR of 29 in 26:24. Kabengele is consequently becoming an increasingly attractive option for European basketball’s fantasy managers, too.
His totals across those three road wins are impressive: 58 points and 70 PIR, averages of 19.3 points and 23.3 PIR per game. Above all, he made 20 of 26 two-point attempts, an outstanding 76.9%, alongside 3 of 8 three-pointers and 9 of 12 free throws. This is about more than an increased number of possessions ending successfully in his hands; it is about making exceptional use of the opportunities he receives.
Dubai now sits at 5-2, inside the top six and just one win off the lead. It is still early, but the connection between its center’s form and the team’s results is clear. The former AEK big man gives Pascual a reliable offensive foundation that recent opponents have been unable to contain.