Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel believes Kyle Kuzma needs a little more time to find his land legs.
While the Los Angeles Lakers have had a great start to their season at 11-2, it does not mean everyone on the squad has been off to a rocket start. Forward Kyle Kuzma is a noteworthy example of someone who fits that mold for L.A. at the time being.
It is fair to point out that Kuzma missed the first four games of the young season due to an injury. Nevertheless, his numbers thus far do not suggest he is in “Kuz control” mode yet.
Certainly, nine games are not representative of a gigantic sample size. Although that statement is true, Kuzma’s offensive contributions have not been too promising.
Kuzma has averaged just 14 points per contest, which is well below his career average. What is just as concerning is that the third-year baller has been inefficient, particularly from 3-point territory. He has only converted 32.7 percent of his attempts from behind the arc.
This mark demonstrates that it would not hurt for Kuzma to be a little more aggressive. He has clearly had difficulties scoring the rock this year. Therefore, attacking the basket could not only lead to better efficiency, but potentially more free throws. He has only shot 17 freebies this season, which is a puny number.
Despite the Lakers’ loss to the Toronto Raptors, one of the bright spots on the team was Kuzma. It was one of his best performances of the year given that he scored 15 points and nailed three 3-pointers. Additionally, he managed to haul down five rebounds for the purple and gold.
No. 0 followed up said performance with an even better one Tuesday evening. Kuzma achieved a season-high in points with 23 on a 9-of-16 clip from the field.
In the latter case, he made a couple critical 3-pointers in the closing minutes to seal the deal for his team. It is precisely the kind of “Kuuuzmania” many have been waiting to witness.
Albeit he has enjoyed a couple decent offensive performances in a row, games like this have not been common for Kuzma in 2019-20. He has been an uncharacteristically inconsistent shooter for Los Angeles.
The young man’s poor performances are not all his fault. As was noted above, he was dealt a blow while competing for a spot on Team USA’s roster over the summer. Because of this factor, Kuzma simply has not been himself in the early stages of the season.
That being said, fans can only hope “Kuz” will snap out of it as time progresses. They know that the 27th overall pick in the 2017 draft is capable of more than he has shown.
Head coach Frank Vogel appears to be carrying a similar disposition toward the third-year player. Per Lakers Nation writer Maximo Gonzales, Vogel believes “Kuz” needs a little more time to get back into the swing of things.
"”He’s still finding his way,” Vogel said. “Offensively… within our system where his shots are going to come and playing the game the right way, being assertive but not too assertive. Defensively… within our coverages. He’s been pretty good defensively up to tonight. [He] had some good stretches tonight but he’s still in the process of getting his legs under him, getting his rhythm and timing on both ends of the floor.”"
Vogel raises a good point upon his reference of Kuzma’s defensive efforts. In spite of his offensive struggles, the Flint, Michigan native has looked more active on “D.” It is encouraging on account of the fact that he has not always been a superb defender in the past.
Moreover, it proves that Kuzma has not been a total liability this season. It is easy to notice the fact that he is not been sinking his shots at the same rate folks are used to seeing. However, he should be given some credit for trying to make up for his offensive deficiencies by playing stronger defense.
Of course, it is simple to point to the Toronto contest and call out “Kuz” for his lackadaisical effort on “D.” Be that as it may, he is honestly not the only one at fault when that game is thought about.
There would probably be greater reason for concern if the 24-year-old was not doing much of anything on either end of the hardwood. At the same time, it does not totally excuse how “Kuz” has performed up to this juncture. He has not been as productive as he needs to be, especially considering that he was the one piece the team did not include in the Anthony Davis trade.
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There is a major reason as to why the Lakers need their third-year player to get the ball rolling. Although the Davis/LeBron James combination has been fun to watch, not a whole lot of firepower has come off the bench. Many expected “Kuz” would seamlessly fill that role for L.A., but it has not quite been the case yet.
Certainly, it is reasonable to think Kuzma’s topsy-turvy pattern on offense will not last forever. It is rather atypical for him to have cold streaks along these lines. The last two games offer a glimpse of hope, but he must be that sparkplug time after time.
Until Kuzma exhibits his true colors, the Lakers will have to hope LeBron and The Brow can continue to carry the bulk of the offensive load. It has not been an unsuccessful formula so far, but is not necessarily an ideal one, either.
As good as James/AD are, they can only do so much. The second unit scoring desperately needs a boost to take some pressure off the Lakers’ dynamic duo. Kuzma stands out from the crowd as far as the bench players are concerned and the team needs more than they have gotten.
It is somewhat understandable that Kuzma is still trying to locate his land legs, so to speak. This is the NBA, though, and the results need to start coming as soon as possible.
The Lakers are vying to make a run at the 17th crown this season and have the pieces in place to make noise. In order for this goal to become a more likely occurrence, Kyle Kuzma has to become more productive on offense. Having a legitimate third scoring option is not an option for the team.
It makes sense that it takes time for a player in his shoes to get used to playing in NBA games again. The third-year Laker had a lower extremity injury, so mobility in itself had to have been an issue. Thankfully, he has shown in the last two games that he is getting back to his old self.
L.A. has enjoyed success even in the instances where Kuzma has not been his best self. It will arguably take Kuzma being his best self, though, for the ball club to maximize their potential. The sky is the limit for the 16-time champions if the confident baller can start consistently playing at the level he is capable of.