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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Takeaways from overtime loss to Spurs

By Ronald Agers

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on October 22, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on October 22, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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2) Kyle Kuzma is a GROWN MAN!

Let me say this because I want to be the first to say this…If Kyle Kuzma is not sharpied in the starting lineup after tonight, Luke Walton has no clue and needs to be fired. The Los Angeles Lakers have found their power forward in this small ball scheme. This dude competes and plays hard. This guy has shown he is not scared and is in no way intimidated on how to play with LeBron James…

On the fast break here, you see that Kyle Kuzma drives aggressively to the paint. At the top of the screen you see LeBron James running the lane looking for the lob for the alley-oop. Instead of making a young rookie mistake and making a play that wasn’t there, he takes it to the rim and lays it home strong, draws the contact and the foul!

Another example of Kuzma’s aggressiveness…

On this play, Kuzma drives into the lane with a nice spin move, puts Marco Bellinelli in a spin cycle and takes the contact from Aldridge and finishes the play with a layup. Should have been a foul call there but Walton cleared that up in the video above.

Finally..well you don’t have to analyze STANKONIA!

This was so good because he did not settle for the three. Unlike this three happy culture the NBA has, he ran past Aldridge and dunked so nasty that the refs didn’t notice JaVale McGee fouling Forbes and putting him on the floor.

With young players, you have to put them in positions to succeed. Now Walton is going to have to show everyone that he has control of these rotations. Kuzma is a different player as a starter. He is more aggressive and gets engaged earlier in the game. Right now at least for one night Kuzma may have figured out something that Brandon Ingram hasn’t yet. That something is being able to stay active off the ball even when LeBron James is on the floor.

Hey Kareem! This is for you CAP!

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