Two years ago, Kyle Kuzma was relatively anonymous in the basketball world despite a standout three-year career at the University of Utah. Now, the Los Angeles Lakers forward has been invited to Team USA's training camp for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, evidence of just how much his game has evolved in such a short amount of time.
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo is certainly aware of Kuzma's improvement, saying the strides he's taken since being a late first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft are why he's now being considered for the national team.
Colangelo, describing Kuzma's best attributes that made him attractive to USA Basketball: "Size, shooting ability, range, versatility. And he’s a tough guy. You need toughness in this competition."
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) June 10, 2019
Kuzma has been a rare bright spot for the Lakers over the past two seasons despite the franchise's widespread dysfunction. Acquired with the pick Los Angeles received from the Brooklyn Nets in the Brook Lopez-D'Angelo Russell trade, Kuzma has established himself as arguably the most valuable member of his team's young core.
After bursting onto the scene during his NBA debut en route to First Team All-Rookie honors, he averaged 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in 2018-19, lowering his turnover rate despite an uptick in usage. Kuzma's solidly average 54.6 true shooting percentage, just below his rookie mark, is also more impressive than it seems on the surface given his struggles from beyond the arc this season, where he shot just 30.3 percent after making 36.6 percent of his long-range tries as a rookie.
Still, Kuzma is unlikely to make Team USA's final 12-man roster for China. He's more limited defensively than most of the other forwards who will take part in training camp, and doesn't have a consistent enough stroke to be designated as a shooting specialist off the bench.
Follow Us
Subscribe