Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma is deserving of All-Rookie 1st team selection

The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the best rookies in the NBA in Kyle Kuzma. Is he deserving of being named to the All-Rookie 1st team?

The end of the NBA season is fast approaching for the Los Angeles Lakers. With that means the annual awards and team selections for players. Though the Lakers have had a somewhat disappointing season, their young rookies have been a spark of hope for the future, especially Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma has played well for the Lakers this season, and deserves a selection onto the NBA All-Rookie 1st team.

The Lakers selected Kuzma with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2017 draft. He is considered a steal in this draft class since he was selected so late in the first round. Kuzma has outperformed his billing thus far in the NBA, raising eyebrows with his spectacular play. He has shown a gifted offensive touch both inside and outside, proving he could be an elite scorer. Once he refines his offensive game, he could become a huge weapon for the Lakers alongside Ball and Ingram.

While there is a consensus around the league that either Donovan Mitchell or Ben Simmons will win the Rookie of the Year award for their play, Kuzma has made a case for himself on the NBA’s All-Rookie 1st team. When taking a quick glance at his statistics for the season, it is easy to see why the former Utah player is deserving of a 1st team nod.

Kuzma started off the year hot. According to ESPN, Kuzma averaged 18.2 and 19.5 ppg for the months of November and December, respectively. Despite the dip in his production as of late, his season averages still stand at 15.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 1.8 asp, per Basketball Reference. Furthermore, his effective field goal percentage is 51.9%, which ranks 13th for rookies who have played at least 40 games. In comparison to his fellow rookies, Kuzma stands out as one of the more elite players.

Against all rookies, Kuzma is 3rd in points, trailing only Mitchell and Simmons. He is also 5th in rebounds and 15th in assists. Other notable rookies like Lauri Markkanen, Bogdan Bogdanovich and Dennis Smith Jr. have posted similar stats. However, these players are putting up similar numbers with either higher usage rates (see: Smith Jr.) or lower win shares (see: Markkanen and Bogdanovich). Kuzma is therefore more productive than his rival rookies who are also in consideration for All-Rookie 1st team.

Though, Kuzma isn’t an all-around player yet. His defense can be lacking at some times, but his height and wingspan make his prospects seem promising. He has also shown that he is an offensive threat that can get hot in an instant. His penchant for high-volume shooting has been criticized at times by Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton. Walton has talked to the rookie about taking better shots and being more of a playmaker for the team.

Walton wants Kuzma to be able to find open teammates when he begins to attract double teams. By drawing the defense to him and finding the open man, Kuzma can make L.A.’a offense more potent. Kuzma will strengthen his case for a 1st Team selection if he improves upon his decision making and shot selection to finish the season.

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While Kyle Kuzma has made a solid case so far for the NBA All-Rookie 1st team, he can remove any doubts by finding the play that lead to his Rookie of the Month selection for November. Though many consider Kyle Kuzma a 1st team selection already, he will be a consensus pick if he can find greater efficiency in these last 20 or so games.