Last week the Los Angeles Lakers added four new players via the NBA Draft. Much of the focus has been on second overall pick Lonzo Ball but Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have high expectations for their other picks as well.
Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Thomas Bryant all bring something different to the table, but the Lakers are very happy that they were able to get all three young guys into the organization.
After their introductory press conference, Magic spoke to Chris McGee and Mike Bresnahan on Spectrum SportsNet about the all three players and praised all of them for what they bring to the table:
“Kyle [Kuzma] can really play. He can take it off the rebound and go coast-to-coast. He can make the pass and we’ve seen that in scrimmages already. And Josh [Hart], again, a winner is a winner. This guy is special, and he’s going to play a lot…and we’re going to develop Thomas [Bryant].”
Just as important as their skills are, Magic also loves how competitive all three players are and what they are showing in the Lakers facility already:
“I’m seeing it every single day,” Magic said of the rookies being in the gym. “They love to compete. They’ve been playing three-on-three, five-on-five. They get mad when they lose. That’s what type of guys we brought to the Lakers and the fanbase will be able to see that starting in Las Vegas and will continue on into the regular season and training camp.”
While Ball was a freshman, all three of the Lakers other selections played multiple years in college. While some believe that means these players have a lower ceiling, the Lakers clearly have high hopes for all three players.
The fact that they are already hard at work is a good sign for them ultimately living up to their potential. Hart, Bryant, and Kuzma will all be taking part in the Las Vegas Summer League next week which will be the first look everyone will get at all three.