3. Kyle Kuzma- PF/SF
Kyle Kuzma is going to be one of the most fun players on this roster next year. His excellent play as a rookie was one of the most surprising storylines in the NBA last year, as no one expected that from the 27th pick in the draft.
It was truly a delight to see the underdog come out of nowhere and become the team’s best offensive player last season. With this positive momentum on his side, you would think there would be a unanimous level of excitement surrounding him going into next season. But alas, many doubters have come out the woodworks.
There has been a narrative surrounding the NBA media that Kuzma may not get much better, suggesting that he is already much of the player he will become. This is a typical example of age bias in the NBA. Due to the increasing amounts of young stars in the NBA, there has been a growing belief that players who come into the draft at an older age inherently have a lower ceiling than those who enter the league after just one year of college.
While this is a logical argument and is very often the reality, it is not absolute. It is indeed possible for a player to play multiple years of college basketball and still come into the NBA nowhere close to the player they have the potential to become, believe it or not.
If there were ever a player that would prove this age bias wrong, it is Kyle Kuzma.
If we look around the league for example’s of players who became stars despite coming into the league at a matured age, Jimmy Butler jumps out as the prime example. Butler entered the league at the age of 22 and became an above average player at the age of 25 when he made his first of four consecutive All-Star games.
Much of the reason Butler didn’t pop until that point was due to circumstance, but his undying work ethic was also a large factor. He is notorious for being one of the hardest workers in the NBA, to the point where he alienates teammates who do not match his intensity.
It just so happens that there is another player who came into the league at the age of 22 who has been praised for his work ethic by those surrounding him.
We haven’t seen anywhere near the best basketball we will see from Kyle Kuzma, but expect a solid jump in performance next season. Last season, his defense was far and away his biggest weakness. This is due to some poor defensive instincts, but more importantly because of a lack of an NBA body.
Kuzma simply couldn’t stay in front of bigger offensive players in the paint, giving up easy buckets left and right. Thankfully, he has put in major effort to better his body this offseason, clearly putting on much more muscle.
This should greatly improve both his defense and ability to finish at the rim through contact. Pair this with his already above average shooting and you get one hell of a forward to play alongside LeBron James.
The team’s best possible lineup is Lonzo Ball-Kentavious Caldwell Pope-Brandon Ingram-Kyle Kuzma-Lebron James. The success of that lineup is greatly dependent on the defensive play of Kyle Kuzma as LeBron James puts in minimal effort on that end of the floor.
Even if Kuzma’s defense does not improve, his offensive ability makes him a valuable asset to have on a team that can use all the shooting it can get. Worst case scenario, Kuzma is the 6th man that gives life to the second unit’s offense, protecting any leads gained by the starters.
At best, his defense greatly improves and Kuzma becomes the second best player on the team in year two. The fact that this is not necessarily a certainty is the only thing keeping him out of the top two of this list.