Kyle Kuzma
At this point, every Lakers fan knows about Kyle Kuzma’s long distance shooting struggles during the 2018-2019 season. He shot an awful 30% from beyond the arc, but even worse, is the fact that his average includes nearly four wide-open (no player within 6 feet) 3-point attempts per game.
That enormous number of wide-open three’s shows that part of the game plan written up by opposing coaching staffs was to send the player who was guarding Kuzma towards LeBron James; Kyle was so horrific from deep that other organization wanted him to shoot uncontested 3-point shots.
All things considered, “Kuz” was the worst 3-point shooter in the NBA last year.
Kuzma knows his long distance shooting was a disaster. After the Lakers season was over, he immediately took steps to remedy his dire situation by hiring renowned shooting coach, “Lethal Shooter,” to help fix his stroke.
Under “Lethal Shooters” guidance, Kyle has been putting up thousands of long distance shots every day over the summer, allowing muscle memory to take over. That means next season he’ll stop thinking so much about his form and instead just shoot with his improved stroke.
By all appearances, his hard work has already started to pay off, because he shot a very high clip from distance during his time playing for the US men’s national team.
Envision what the Lakers offense will look like next year if Kyle Kuzma can hit a league-average clip from beyond the arc. Then teams wouldn’t be able to bottle up LeBron James and Anthony Davis by helping off of Kuzma. LA would be devastating next season on offense
Visualize how Kuzma’s game will transform as well. Kuzma’s greatest attribute is his explosive speed from the forward position. If opposing players are forced to close out on “Kuz” at full speed as he sets up to shoot from beyond the arc, he’ll be able to attack and explode towards the rim for either a monster dunk, a quirky running hook, or an easy pass to a wide open teammate.
All of these dreams of a new and improved Kuzma will come true next season. Don’t expect any miracles. His 3-point shooting percentage isn’t going to jump over 10% in one offseason; however, it will improve to 36%, thus increasing his efficiency across the board.
Next year, Kuzma will help the Lakers explode out of the gate by averaging 20 points per game with outstanding efficiency, which will lead to “Kuz” getting real All-Star consideration for the first time in his brief career.