Was listening to ESPN LA and they love Kuzma. Talked about him off and on the whole hour I listened.
Fun stuff.
Can't believe they traded Mosgov for Lopez (cap space/LeBron) and Kuzma.
Was listening to ESPN LA and they love Kuzma. Talked about him off and on the whole hour I listened.
Fun stuff.
Can't believe they traded Mosgov for Lopez (cap space/LeBron) and Kuzma.
Kuzma led the Lakers to a Summer League championship last night. I always knew that Kuzma had what it takes to win a championship in Vegas. Just figured it would be in March wearing the D&F. Kyle was awarded the championship MVP with 30 points, 10 rebounds and a handful of steals. (Lonzo didn't play.) He also earned Summer League Second Team. One of the biggest developments has been his consistency at the three. Last night he was 6-10 from beyond the arc.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui9hjWvb_dQ
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Good for Kuz. I admit I did not believe he was an NBA player. The NBA underclass advisory committee gave him a late second to undrafted eval. but Kuz believed in himself, worked hard and it all paid off for him.
To be fair (to you) this is NBA Summer League ball, not the NBA. With the serious step up in talent coming, he'll struggle, and he definitely won't be knocking down the 3s at the clip he has in Vegas. I think he biggest risk is being exposed athletically on D in isolation against some of the freaks in the NBA - imagine him trying to deal with the Greek Freak - but I think Kuz will adjust his game and be able to contribute.
Any time your playing for Magic Johnson, and he's singing your praises... life is good. Soak it all up, Kuz.
I'd be surprised if he weighs more than 210, right now. He's been running his ass off in Vegas, with Ball playing the role of Tom Brady. It's been a fun little dynamic, torching Summer League defenses that haven't been expecting it.
Kyle's going to on the very edge of what his body can do, in terms of strength, explosion, endurance. I still see him as more of a Chandler Parsons kind of athlete, and if he can keep his 3 game in the mid to upper 30s in percentage, he'll be fine. Probably never an All-Star, but he's hit the lottery, from where he was as a Freshman.
Also, nice to see Magic Johnson looking pretty good, even a little chunky. There was a time in the early 90s when I thought he was a goner. Great that HIV isn't an automatic death sentence, anymore.
I guess this could go in the Delon Wright thread as well. kuzma, delon, Brandon Taylor, Chris Reyes, etc all at Highland High for Delons bball camp. Fun to see these guys hang out with the local kids.
"Don't apologize; it's not your fault. It's my fault for overestimating your competence."
Kuz made an appearance at Fan Fest. My boys got their picture with him. He was sitting off in the shade with the coaches next to K, not in the tent with the players.
I told my boys afterwards that they were standing next to two multi millionaires. It blew their minds.
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"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Lots of love for Kuzma.
https://bballbreakdown.com/2017/10/0...yle-kuzma-era/
He looks great.
σοφῷ ἀνδρὶ Ἑλλὰς πάντα.
-- Flavius Philostratus, Life of Apollonius 1.35.2.
Jinkies!
Poeltl averaging 9.5, 9.0, 1.8 blocks. Delon Wright playing 27 min/game. Kuzma steal of the draft? Utah hoops, nice start to the NBA season.
https://twitter.com/NBADraftWass/status/923575658818822144
Last edited by U-Ute; 10-26-2017 at 11:11 AM.
Mods, please retitle this thread "The Kyle Kuzma, 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year, Thread." TIA.
Not much Utah coverage, but Kuzma's picking up some quality reporting: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...new-lakers-era
kuzma = 24 points, 7 boards last night
meanwhile Delon Wright hurt his shoulder again ... bummer
https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-new...oulder-injury/
"In high school, AAU, even prep school, I didn't really know how to play basketball," Kuzma says. "It was kind of like, 'Let's throw the balls out, go get buckets, just score and go play.' Once I got to college, I didn't know defensive rotations, my footwork was sloppy. I used to travel every other play."
Kuzma article
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
Last edited by Applejack; 11-22-2017 at 07:28 AM.
Good story.
How Kyle Kuzma found a path to the Lakers from a YMCA basketball court in Flint
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers....html#nws=true
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Kuz had an okay game tonight 37 points
Do you guys think Larry wonders (privately or not) if he under-utilized Kuzma?
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
This doesn’t necessarily answer your question, but there was an interesting interview with Draymond Green posted today.
He is asked about Lebron and quickly changes the subject to Kuzma.
He said he’s watch Kuz for a long time, and you could see the flashes in college when it was obvious he had the ability....but he said you could also see the times when Kuz “wasn’t interested”.
I think we all saw the type of player Kuz can be when he’s on....but I don’t know that any coach could coax that out of Kuz for long periods. Seems the switch clicked on during the draft process.
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I always thought he was a headcase. Would make a great play, then a boneheaded play. Never showed a will to win, never seemed like much of a leader. Never shot that well from 3. I thought he would get drafted in the second round then sit toward the end of the bench for a couple of years. What do I know.
I'm skeptical that Draymond Green was closely following Kuzma in college. I also don't really buy the "lazy Kuz" story. He was completely hopeless as a freshman, and he improved each year. He earned his spot as a sophomore by working hard on defense and rebounding. It was always clear he wanted to shoot threes, and I'm sure he worked hard on his shot. His percentage improved each season.
He never had a great PG, and last season in particular he was surrounded by mediocrity. He's got Ball now, and he can play his natural position for the Lakers.
Draymond is from Saginaw, Michigan, a 35 minute drive from Flint.
Fairly certain Draymond knew of and followed Kuz even before college.
Kuz 3 point shooting has skyrocketed so far in the NBA. In college he never shot above 32% which he did both his freshman and junior years, his sophomore year was very poor.
The biggest improvements to Kuz game in college came in rebounding, he jumped 4 a game his final year.
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