Los Angeles Lakers swingman Kyle Kuzma made his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, scoring nine points and grabbing three boards in just under 19 minutes of action.
However, after missing the entire preseason due to a foot injury, the Lakers are keeping Kuzma on a minutes restriction. Head coach Frank Vogel said that Kuzma can play up to 22 minutes against the Spurs on Sunday night:
Vogel said Kuzma can play up to 22 minutes for Lakers vs Spurs. Not sure if he will but Kuzma got increase from 20 in first game at Dallas
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) November 3, 2019
Kuzma was supposed to play for Team USA during the 2019 FIBA World Cup, but he sustained the foot injury during camp. The Lakers said that he would be out “indefinitely,” though the assumption was that the 24-year-old forward was unlikely to miss an extended amount of games during the regular season.
Los Angeles took a gamble on Kuzma at the end of the first round in the 2017 NBA Draft, only to have him respond by nearly winning Rookie of the Year. He put up 16.1 points and 6.3 boards while shooting close to 37 percent from beyond the arc.
In spite of injury issues to LeBron James and Lonzo Ball (amongst others) last season, Kuzma increased his scoring average and made strides as a playmaker and ball handler.
As a result, Kuzma was the only piece that the Lakers would not offer up in their pursuit of Anthony Davis. Now, the two are teammates.
Kuzma figures to be a boon for James and Davis when he gets back to full strength. He shoots it at a decent clip and also puts the ball on the floor. Most importantly, he is as good a “third option” as any in the NBA.
Follow Us
Subscribe