Los Angeles Lakers President Magic Johnson recently appeared on ESPN First Take. On the show, he praised Kyle Kuzma.
The Los Angeles Lakers certainly had a very nice offseason, as they were able to take another step forward. After a few years of struggling, the Lakers are certainly heading in the right direction.
In the 2017 NBA Draft, the Lakers were able to get even more young talent to their core. They ended up with four picks in the draft, including three in the first round. With their first three picks, the Lakers selected Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart.
While Ball came into the NBA with a lot of hype, the Lakers might have gotten another potential star in Kyle Kuzma. After a solid career at Utah, Kuzma really shined in his draft workouts for the Lakers.
When the Lakers were on the clock with the 27th pick, they wasted no time taking Kuzma. While it came as a surprise to some, the Lakers had Kuzma ranked very high on their draft board.
Recently, Johnson spoke about Kuzma on ESPN First Take. Here’s what he had to say via Corey Lansford of LakersNation.com.
"“I’ll tell you, the steal of the draft is going to be Kyle Kuzma. The young man can shoot the basketball, he also can put it down on the floor and create for himself or for his teammates.”"
After seeing Kuzma play in the Summer League, it certainly appears like the Lakers have a steal on their hands. If it wasn’t for Lonzo Ball winning the tournament MVP, it very well could have been Kuzma taking home those honors.
However, he did with the Summer League Finals MVP, as he had a great game with Ball off the court. With Kuzma’s ability to play both forward positions and score from both inside and outside the arc, there’s a lot to like about his game.
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With training camp a few weeks away, Kuzma will have to shine once again to earn a role heading into the preseason. If he is able to perform like he did in the Summer League, Kuzma will likely have a sizeable role in the Lakers’ rotation to start the season.