Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma impresses Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has impressed Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma took the NBA by storm last season. The No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Utah proved all of his doubters wrong from the first time he put on the purple and gold.
Kuzma was dominant in the Las Vegas Summer League. People said it wouldn’t last because the competition wasn’t great. He then dominated in the preseason, but people still doubted him. Once the regular season rolled around, Kuzma once again was productive.
Kuzma finished his rookie season tied for the team lead in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game. Any doubts of him struggling to adapt to the NBA was put to rest. He proved he could be a stretch-4, knocking down 36.6 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Kuzma also chipped in 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Kuzma became an integral part of the Lakers rotation and is cemented as a part of the young core. Los Angeles likes him so much he was off the table in trade talks this offseason with the San Antonio Spurs. Kuzma earned such a designation.
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The 2017-18 season was one of the best ever seen in Lakers franchise history, in addition to one of the greatest seasons for a rookie in NBA history. Kuzma was the first rookie to surpass 1,200 points, 450 rebounds and 150 3-pointers in NBA history according to Lakers PR.
There has only been one player in the illustrious history of the Lakers to reach those numbers. That player is Kobe Bryant. He accomplished that feat during the 2007-08 season.
Kuzma has a long way to go before reaching the level of Bryant in Lakers lore. However, Bryant is a big fan of Kuzma and has been impressed by him thus far.
Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that Kuzma and Bryant talk a lot. The two had dinner together as well prior to the season. Throughout all the meetings, Kuzma said he received some great advice that he puts to use.
In a recent interview with Rich Eisen, Bryant shared that he has worked out with Kuzma and came away very impressed.
"“Dude, he looks great, man. He’s got good rhythm, he has the ability do disassociate movements, which gives him a fluidity when he plays. But he can shoot the ball, he’s worked on his midrange game a lot, post up game looks strong so I’m looking forward to him having a good year.”"
Recently, a video surfaced of Bryant working out with Jayson Tatum. It was something that peeved some Lakers fans, as Tatum is an up-and-coming forward with the rival Boston Celtics.
While that upset some Lakers fans, they can take solace knowing that Bryant is helping out their own players, as well. Kuzma has shown that he is a capable player offensively with an impressive repertoire of moves. How Kuzma can really take a step forward is improving on the defensive end, something Bryant excelled at.
Next. Kyle Kuzma's Top 5 Games of 2017-18. dark
If Bryant can help Kuzma improve on that end of the court, he would help the team out even more. However, working out with Bryant in any capacity is a positive for Kuzma’s game.