Los Angeles Lakers: Best quotes from media day and what they mean
By Jason Reed
2. Josh Hart on Kyle Kuzma’s progression
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“Me and Kuz work out together, and there were a couple times I’m sitting there like, ‘Man, how am I supposed to stop this guy?’ I’m forcing him to take tough shots, and he’s making tough shots.”
Kyle Kuzma was one of the best and most surprising rookies last season. If it were not for Donovan Mitchell, Kuzma would have been the consensus pick as the best sleeper pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
In fact, Kuzma did not get as much love as he should have in the media due to the Rookie of the Year battle between Mitchell and Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum‘s success on the Boston Celtics. Kuzma was as good, if not better than Tatum last season.
Josh Hart confirmed to the media that Kuzma is only getting better. Even now, Kuzma sort of falls out of the limelight with LeBron, Ball and Brandon Ingram. While he will likely be the Lakers’ sixth-man, he is going to be explosive off the bench and be a huge asset to this Lakers team.
Kyle Kuzma on LeBron: “Playing against one of the greatest players of all time is only going to make you better.” Referenced how he was (in Magic’s words) dominating 5-on-5’s until LeBron got back in town.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) September 24, 2018
Just from all of the rumblings from within the Lakers and the things we have been told by the Lakers’ brass, Kuzma looks to be the leader of the young core and might have leapfrogged Brandon Ingram as the team’s second-best player.
Hart was nice to Kuzma this time, I am sure we will start seeing the two go at it yet again with the season underway.
Quote courtesy of NBA.com.