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Lakers Nation > Blog > Lakers News > Lakers News: Kyle Kuzma Knew He Was A Better Shooter Than College Stats Showed
Lakers News

Lakers News: Kyle Kuzma Knew He Was A Better Shooter Than College Stats Showed

Trevor Lane
Published: 10/10/2017
3 Min Read
Lakers Preseason Recap: L.a.’s Comeback Attempt Falls Short As They Lose To Nuggets 113-107
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
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For the past few seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers have consistently found talent in the latter portions of the NBA Draft, including Jordan Clarson, Ivica Zubac, and Larry Nance Jr. However, none of those players hit the ground running the way that Kyle Kuzma has.

After being selected with the 27th overall pick, which was acquired in the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets, Kuzma has set out to make teams regret passing on him. It’s extremely early, but so far, it looks as though the Lakers have found the steal of the draft.

After lighting up the Las Vegas Summer League and taking home MVP honors for the championship game, Kuzma is now averaging 19.5 points per game for the Lakers in preseason while shooting 62 percent from the field. Most who watch Kuzma play his college ball at Utah are shocked at his rapidly developing shooting ability, but Kuzma told Jamieson Welsh of Believe The Hype that he knew he was a better shooter than what he had shown:

Just my work ethic. In college people said I couldn’t shoot. I knew I was a better shooter than I did in college. I really just tried to be disciplined and focussed on my work ethic and tried to dial in on certain things and that’s really opened up my entire game.

As excellent as Kuzma has been, it does have to be noted that the sample size is very small at this point, so it’s likely that Kuzma’s shooting percentage will level off eventually. Case in point, his 48 percent shooting from downtown during Summer League is down to just 30 percent so far in preseason.

However, his form is consistent and smooth and Kuzma glides around the floor effortlessly. He has a number of tools at his disposal and is undoubtedly one of the more exciting young prospects that the Lakers have found in recent years. Kuzma could even be making a push for the starting lineup in his rookie season, which would certainly be impressive.

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TAGGED:Kyle KuzmaLos Angeles Lakers
ByTrevor Lane
Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
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