2. Kyle Kuzma’s 3-point shooting
Kyle Kuzma has proved to be one of the biggest steals of the 2017 draft. As a rookie, he tied for the team lead with 16.1 PPG. He was also one of the Lakers biggest 3-point threats, tying for the most shots made while shooting a respectable .366 from beyond the arc.
This season, Kuz has improved his offensive arsenal in many ways. In particular, he worked hard over the summer to increase his upper body strength, and the dividends are obvious. He is noticeably stronger and much better able to absorb contact at the rim and still convert his shot. His scoring average has increased to 18.2 PPG.
However, his 3-point accuracy has dipped significantly to just 30.9%. This ranks LAST on the team for anyone who has attempted 10 or more 3’s. His shooting form looks good but his success rate is not acceptable for a player who is second on the team in 3-point attempts.
One theory is that Kyle hasn’t yet made the necessary adjustments required by his new bulked-up upper body. This might have some merit. Yet his free throw shooting has increased from .707 last year to .782 this season (second-best on the team).
His shot selection, for the most part, seems reasonable. He is actually taking the same amount of 3’s per game as last season, 5.6. But he’s only making 1.7 of them while last year he made 2.1. That difference can be meaningful over the long haul.
The Lakers long-range shooting this year has not been nearly as bad as feared. They currently are converting 34.9% of the 3-point attempts, which puts them in the middle of the pack (17th out of 30 teams).
But it would certainly help their playoff aspirations if Kuz started making 3’s at the same or even better rate than he did as a rookie.