In 12 games with the Los Angeles Lakers since being traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers, veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas has helped lead the team to seven wins and appears to be developing some chemistry with his new teammates like rookie forward Kyle Kuzma.
After practice on Monday, following the team's win over Thomas' former squad on Sunday, Kuzma talked about what it has been like playing with the floor general who has no problem being vocal on the basketball floor.
“He yells at me a lot [laughs],” Kuzma said of Thomas. “He's just a veteran. A guy you can kind of count on. He's been through the wars, been through the playoffs. He knows what it takes to win. He's just a great resource to have out there. Helps all the young guys out for sure.
“I'm a competitive person. He's really competitive. We both want to win. It's always a good and a bad thing to get animated like that because one, it keeps you on your heels more. It just helps you come together more.”
Thomas is three games away from matching the total number of games he played with Cleveland. The 29-year-old missed the majority of this season with the Cavs due to a hip injury he's admittedly not fully recovered from. He's already played 12 games with the Lakers and has made an impact on the team and his new teammates.
In his first game against his former team, Thomas finished with 20 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. His nine assists tied a season-high while his point total was the fourth time he'd scored 20 points or more since being traded to Los Angeles.
“He was only there for 15 games or whatnot, but it was good to see him try to kill them,” Kuzma said of Thomas. “We have a saying, anytime [you play] your last team, they didn't want you. He took it to them and did a great job.”
With the highly-anticipated matchup with the Cavs now behind them, Kuzma and company can now focus on making a push for the playoffs. Although it remains a longshot that the Lakers end their postseason drought this season, they're still in the hunt despite being six games below .500 at 30-36.
On Tuesday, the Lakers will be back in action as they host the Denver Nuggets. The team will attempt to avenge the loss to Denver while hoping to take another step closer to competing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Every team below the Lakers in the Western Conference standings have already been eliminated from playoff contention. The Utah Jazz (37-30), Nuggets (37-30), L.A. Clippers (36-29), and San Antonio Spurs (37-29) are the teams battling it out for the seventh and eighth seeds in the West.
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