Los Angeles Lakers rising star rookie forward Kyle Kuzma and his teammates may not be in the NBA playoffs this season, but they are anticipating a return to the postseason next year with their young core.
During a recent Fox Sports interview on Chris Broussard's “In The Zone” podcast, Kuzma said that he is watching the NBA playoffs much differently now that he has made it to the professional level, transcription via Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation.
“I don’t think you can watch the game as a fan anymore, once you’re a player,” Kuzma said. “You’re just so into getting better and improving, that you’re locked into the game with a coaching mindset.”
Kuzma also said that he sees very noticeable differences between the regular season and the playoffs, adding that he's continuing to learn quite a lot as a rookie.
“For me, watching the playoffs has been a big experience. I’m learning so much from the game. It’s a completely different game from the regular season to the playoffs,” Kuzma added.
The 22-year-old forward, who was selected No. 27 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, was one of the league's most pleasant surprises as a diamond in the rough. In 77 games during the 2017-18 season, which included 37 starts, Kuzma averaged an impressive 16.1 points on 45.0 percent shooting from the field, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in 31.2 minutes of action per contest.
It's a very exciting time to be a Lakers fan, as the team is likely to target at least one big-name free agent like LeBron James or Paul George over the summer in hopes of competing for another NBA championship title.
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