After going 27th in the 2017 NBA Draft and promptly being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal centered around D'Angelo Russell, small forward Kyle Kuzma is already looking like one of the best draft steals in recent history.
Kuzma made the All-Rookie First Team last season, and this year has upped his scoring to 18.9 points per game on nearly 47 percent shooting. His emergence has been so promising that he was regarded as one of the main pieces in a potential deal for Anthony Davis.
In a recent interview with Lakers writer Kevin Ding, Kuzma seemed to speak on the kind of killer instinct once possessed by former Laker great Kobe Bryant:
“It’s a miss-or-make league,” Kuzma said. “Make the shot, nobody cares. But if you miss it, then everybody cares. That’s one thing that has really helped, the biggest thing in my confidence offensively, is having that mentality: People are going to say whatever, so why not just try to make the damn shot?”
According to NBA.com advanced statistics,Kyle Kuzma has the second-best net rating on the Lakers for all players with at least 50 games played (this does not include LeBron James, who has played in 49 contests). That number is sure to improve throughout his NBA career with a more determined commitment on the defensive end.
The Lakers are unlikely to make the playoffs this season, and the recent news surrounding Brandon Ingram's health is extremely worrisome. Still, Kuzma's progression as one of the better young players in the game bodes well for their future.
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