At the 2017 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball (No. 2), Kyle Kuzma (No. 27), Josh Hart (No. 30), and Thomas Bryant (No. 42). While all the attention is on Ball, Kuzma and Hart are expected to make immediate contributions heading into the 2017-18 NBA season.
As the Lakers open the new season against the Los Angeles Clippers, general manager Rob Pelinka discussed his expectations for Kuzma after being named to the All-NBA Summer League second team according to Daniel Starkand of Lakers Nation:
“I think Kyle Kuzma becomes a poster child, in a sense of just representing that game of a player that can do everything and is positionless […] He just had a spirit in his step, just an aggressiveness and a chip on his shoulder. He plays in attack mode at all times, I think we saw that in Summer League so we’re really, really excited about him.”
While Hart suffered an ankle injury, Pelinka discussed his ability to make winning plays:
“He may not be the most athletic player in the gym or the quickest, but he finds ways to make winning plays. He did that at Villanova for a national championship. [Villanova head coach] Jay Wright, he developed a mentality in him. Like I said this is a young, scrappy, and hungry young core that we are just really, really excited about.”
Although the Lakers have been rebuilding for quite some time, there was great optimism after head coach Luke Walton, President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson, and Pelinka were hired this past season. With stability at these positions for the forseeable future, the Lakers are eyeing two superstars in 2018 free agency.
Should Ball and Brandon Ingram show they are potential All-Star players, Los Angeles will be an attractive destination for free agents again. While there are numerous players the Lakers can pursue, it appears the focus remains on LeBron James and Paul George.
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