With Larry Nance Jr. expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured left hand, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton inserted Kyle Kuzma into the team's starting lineup against the Brooklyn Nets. It marked Kuzma's first NBA career start and he certainly did not disappoint, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
After the 124-112 win over the Nets, Kuzma was asked if he cares about starting to begin the 2017-18 NBA season.
“No, not really,” Kuzma said. “I just want to play minutes to help the team. Whether that is starting, finishing the game, playing five minutes, or being cheerleader I don't really care.”
During the game, the rookie received ‘M-V-P!' chants at the free throw line and appreciates the fan support.
“I really appreciate it,” Kuzma said. “It is awesome to have fan support. Not too many players have a whole arena do that in their NBA career. I love it and I really appreciate it.”
With a strong performance, it will be interesting to see if Walton starts Kuzma again against the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite a back-to-back situation, he played well alongside Brook Lopez and Brandon Ingram in the frontcourt as they all finished with double-doubles.
After being the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kuzma is already considered this year's steal. From the Las Vegas Summer League to the 2017-18 NBA season, the rookie continues to play at a high level and Walton is rewarding him as he is averaging 28.1 minutes through nine apperances.
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