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ringfinger Retired Number
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Posts: 29418
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 6:18 am Post subject: |
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Think Kuzma is suffering from early stage Odom-itis. I am old enough to remember when people were crucifying Odom early on too.
The one guy on the team who feels awkward is also the one guy who missed all of training camp, preseason, and start of regular season and has been recovering from 3 different injuries since the start.
We’re also able to win ball game without him being “old Kuz” which is the best environment to get back in sync (less pressure).
This is why I’m concerned but not at all panicking about Kuz yet. |
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DLaker Star Player
Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 1536
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:18 am Post subject: |
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ringfinger wrote: | Think Kuzma is suffering from early stage Odom-itis. I am old enough to remember when people were crucifying Odom early on too.
The one guy on the team who feels awkward is also the one guy who missed all of training camp, preseason, and start of regular season and has been recovering from 3 different injuries since the start.
We’re also able to win ball game without him being “old Kuz” which is the best environment to get back in sync (less pressure).
This is why I’m concerned but not at all panicking about Kuz yet. |
I believe he is overthinking out on the court. You watch him play, he will get the ball on the curl and just to pass it off to rondo or LBJ. He is very tentative and not attacking. He is hearing voices in his head right now saying there is a better shot. Remember in Luke system he has the freedom to atk anytime in the shot clock if he feels he can take the defender, but I our current offense we use most of the clock to get the best shot possible. We are winning and he does not want to rock the boat, he is no AD or LBJ who has the green light anytime they touch the ball. He will find his place and will know when it’s ok to be aggressive, I got confidence on him. |
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55 Franchise Player
Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Posts: 12092
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:57 am Post subject: |
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You get what you pay for. At his salary, he's exceeding expectations.
It will be different once he signs a larger contract. Expectations should rise after that, when he'll need to earn it. |
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pio2u Retired Number
Joined: 26 Dec 2012 Posts: 54520
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 8:14 am Post subject: |
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Kuz actually put forth a good effort on defense vs Utah.
The injury and missing training camp really set him back. After playing on a losing team his first few seasons, Kuz is still trying to find his role on a winning team.
IMO he should concentrate on defense and rebounding (his weaknesses) because eventually he will heal and his offense will come around. |
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FrankUnderwood Starting Rotation
Joined: 23 Oct 2019 Posts: 257
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:51 am Post subject: |
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ringfinger wrote: | Think Kuzma is suffering from early stage Odom-itis. I am old enough to remember when people were crucifying Odom early on too.
The one guy on the team who feels awkward is also the one guy who missed all of training camp, preseason, and start of regular season and has been recovering from 3 different injuries since the start.
We’re also able to win ball game without him being “old Kuz” which is the best environment to get back in sync (less pressure).
This is why I’m concerned but not at all panicking about Kuz yet. |
Good points. I'm not even concerned about Kuz yet. I think he will eventually find his rhythm and flow with the guys. I'm happy with the way he is within the offense and not trying to force the issue like BI was during the 1st half of last season. I'll start to be concerned about Kuz if he's still playing like this into January. |
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Luminous8 Star Player
Joined: 26 Apr 2017 Posts: 2192
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 10:54 am Post subject: |
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pio2u wrote: | Kuz actually put forth a good effort on defense vs Utah.
The injury and missing training camp really set him back. After playing on a losing team his first few seasons, Kuz is still trying to find his role on a winning team.
IMO he should concentrate on defense and rebounding (his weaknesses) because eventually he will heal and his offense will come around. |
He was playing on a winning team last year before bron went down. Sure he’s not getting used to playing with less of a green light or being the primary target for Bron? |
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epak Retired Number
Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 34147
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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Glad he put in the effort in garbage time.
Now to get it done against starters. Keep it up Haircut-Kuz! |
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ringfinger Retired Number
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Posts: 29418
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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Luminous8 wrote: | pio2u wrote: | Kuz actually put forth a good effort on defense vs Utah.
The injury and missing training camp really set him back. After playing on a losing team his first few seasons, Kuz is still trying to find his role on a winning team.
IMO he should concentrate on defense and rebounding (his weaknesses) because eventually he will heal and his offense will come around. |
He was playing on a winning team last year before bron went down. Sure he’s not getting used to playing with less of a green light or being the primary target for Bron? |
Definitely more along the lines of what you’re saying. We also ran plays last year for Kuz, tailored to his strengths. This year, garbage time aside, we run nothing for him. |
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PHILosophize Franchise Player
Joined: 05 Nov 2012 Posts: 10758
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:34 pm Post subject: |
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I do like his new haircut – very no-nonsense _________________ one dog goes that way the other dog goes the other way |
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drae Franchise Player
Joined: 13 Nov 2018 Posts: 16144
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Mamba81 Star Player
Joined: 19 Nov 2019 Posts: 2027
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 3:36 am Post subject: |
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bruh missed so many freethrows!! as a hooper i cant give that a pass!! _________________ Kobe Forever |
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governator Franchise Player
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 24996
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 6:13 am Post subject: |
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Puma
Budweiser
Shazam
Panera Bread
That Lakers brand sure is strong |
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manlisten Star Player
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 3169
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 7:31 am Post subject: |
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Kuz is gonna be just fine. I think he may be ready to turn that corner. This should be a good month for him. _________________ It was reminiscent of one of those Most Interesting Man in the World advertisements: "I don't always shoot 6-for-28 from the field, but when I do, I become the youngest player in league history to score 28,000 career points." |
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CRoost Star Player
Joined: 21 Mar 2017 Posts: 4790
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:10 am Post subject: |
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FrankUnderwood wrote: | ringfinger wrote: | Think Kuzma is suffering from early stage Odom-itis. I am old enough to remember when people were crucifying Odom early on too.
The one guy on the team who feels awkward is also the one guy who missed all of training camp, preseason, and start of regular season and has been recovering from 3 different injuries since the start.
We’re also able to win ball game without him being “old Kuz” which is the best environment to get back in sync (less pressure).
This is why I’m concerned but not at all panicking about Kuz yet. |
Good points. I'm not even concerned about Kuz yet. I think he will eventually find his rhythm and flow with the guys. I'm happy with the way he is within the offense and not trying to force the issue like BI was during the 1st half of last season. I'll start to be concerned about Kuz if he's still playing like this into January. |
Kuz have that confidence so at some point he will get his groove back. It’s not like he’s taking a lot of bad shots like in the beginning. The past few games, he’s been pressing hard and missed a lot of lay ups and easy buckets. The fact that he can muster all those shots off ball without any plays call for him speaks volume on what he can do offensively for us . Defensively, he’s getting better with few lapses here and there. I would love him to be all over the place, hustle and do all those little things if his shots are not falling. Kuz have the physical attributes, work ethic and most important is he believed in himself. The only caveat is his bb iq. |
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AFireInside619 Franchise Player
Joined: 11 Dec 2015 Posts: 11447
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:15 am Post subject: |
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manlisten wrote: | Kuz is gonna be just fine. I think he may be ready to turn that corner. This should be a good month for him. |
I agree. I feel some load management from our stars and inserting Kuz as a starter could help boost his confidence. |
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Nobody Star Player
Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 5699 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:35 am Post subject: |
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ringfinger wrote: | Think Kuzma is suffering from early stage Odom-itis. I am old enough to remember when people were crucifying Odom early on too.
The one guy on the team who feels awkward is also the one guy who missed all of training camp, preseason, and start of regular season and has been recovering from 3 different injuries since the start.
We’re also able to win ball game without him being “old Kuz” which is the best environment to get back in sync (less pressure).
This is why I’m concerned but not at all panicking about Kuz yet. |
Yeah, we crucified Odom, beucase he showed flashes of what he could play like and then he disappeared for stretches. But the talent with him was indisputable - that's why we expected so much. I don't see any such talent with Kuzma. If he could be our Microwave Vinnie, I'd be thrilled. |
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poppies Starting Rotation
Joined: 08 Nov 2019 Posts: 808
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:42 am Post subject: |
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PHILosophize wrote: | I do like his new haircut – very no-nonsense |
I think it's clear Kuz follows this forum and heard what was truly holding him back, haha. |
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ringfinger Retired Number
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Posts: 29418
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:56 am Post subject: |
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Nobody wrote: | ringfinger wrote: | Think Kuzma is suffering from early stage Odom-itis. I am old enough to remember when people were crucifying Odom early on too.
The one guy on the team who feels awkward is also the one guy who missed all of training camp, preseason, and start of regular season and has been recovering from 3 different injuries since the start.
We’re also able to win ball game without him being “old Kuz” which is the best environment to get back in sync (less pressure).
This is why I’m concerned but not at all panicking about Kuz yet. |
Yeah, we crucified Odom, beucase he showed flashes of what he could play like and then he disappeared for stretches. But the talent with him was indisputable - that's why we expected so much. I don't see any such talent with Kuzma. If he could be our Microwave Vinnie, I'd be thrilled. |
We crucified him because he wasn’t an alpha. (I didn’t crucify him). |
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Dr. Funkbot Star Player
Joined: 24 Sep 2001 Posts: 8188 Location: Eagle Rock
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:10 am Post subject: |
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It is early in the season, he had no training camp and he has been injured. People who are piling on him are waaaay too impatient. Kuz will step up, kid has a great work ethic and a great desire to be great. _________________ R.I.P. Doc Buss
Last edited by Dr. Funkbot on Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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ringfinger Retired Number
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Posts: 29418
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:13 am Post subject: |
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Dr. Funkbot wrote: | It is early in the season, he had no training camp and he has been injured. People who are piling on him are waaaay to impatient. Kuz will step up, kid has a great work ethic and a great desire to be great. |
Most people cannot see past the last few games. I have to say, it can be good though... for my fantasy basketball team |
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Dr. Funkbot Star Player
Joined: 24 Sep 2001 Posts: 8188 Location: Eagle Rock
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:15 am Post subject: |
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ringfinger wrote: | Dr. Funkbot wrote: | It is early in the season, he had no training camp and he has been injured. People who are piling on him are waaaay to impatient. Kuz will step up, kid has a great work ethic and a great desire to be great. |
Most people cannot see past the last few games. I have to say, it can be good though... for my fantasy basketball team |
_________________ R.I.P. Doc Buss |
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ringfinger Retired Number
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Posts: 29418
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:18 am Post subject: |
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Dr. Funkbot wrote: | ringfinger wrote: | Dr. Funkbot wrote: | It is early in the season, he had no training camp and he has been injured. People who are piling on him are waaaay to impatient. Kuz will step up, kid has a great work ethic and a great desire to be great. |
Most people cannot see past the last few games. I have to say, it can be good though... for my fantasy basketball team |
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Just acquired Jokic for Horford in one league thanks to this mentality. |
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lakerican Star Player
Joined: 09 May 2005 Posts: 3780
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:41 am Post subject: |
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From an article by Adam Goldman.
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Over the last 15 games, Kyle Kuzma has averaged 11.3 PPG (3rd on the Lakers), while shooting 40.6 percent from deep off of 4.3 three-point attempts per game. Those numbers are strong, but we expect Kuzma to play well on offense.
His defense has been the huge surprise. Throughout the past eight games, “Kuz” has the 46th best defensive rating (102) in the NBA.
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ringfinger Retired Number
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Posts: 29418
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 11:15 am Post subject: |
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lakerican wrote: | From an article by Adam Goldman.
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Over the last 15 games, Kyle Kuzma has averaged 11.3 PPG (3rd on the Lakers), while shooting 40.6 percent from deep off of 4.3 three-point attempts per game. Those numbers are strong, but we expect Kuzma to play well on offense.
His defense has been the huge surprise. Throughout the past eight games, “Kuz” has the 46th best defensive rating (102) in the NBA.
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Thanks for this. Feel like I have been saying his defense hasn’t been bad but I keep just getting “eye test” in response or just the standard regurgitation. Glad there is some data to back up what I thought I was seeing. |
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epak Retired Number
Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 34147
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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ringfinger wrote: | lakerican wrote: | From an article by Adam Goldman.
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Over the last 15 games, Kyle Kuzma has averaged 11.3 PPG (3rd on the Lakers), while shooting 40.6 percent from deep off of 4.3 three-point attempts per game. Those numbers are strong, but we expect Kuzma to play well on offense.
His defense has been the huge surprise. Throughout the past eight games, “Kuz” has the 46th best defensive rating (102) in the NBA.
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Thanks for this. Feel like I have been saying his defense hasn’t been bad but I keep just getting “eye test” in response or just the standard regurgitation. Glad there is some data to back up what I thought I was seeing. |
I usually use def rating to measure how a lineup is on defense, not necessarily how an individual player is. In some cases the player may not be a great one on one defender, but the lineup and the scheme can allow their def rating to be nice, i.e. Rondo at 100.9. Also note that the #1 def rated player in the league (for players who played over 10 games and average over 10 mpg) is Mike Muscala at 90.6.
That being said, I'm not saying Kuz has been bad on defense. Like people have said, he has the build to play defense. If he uses better technique, he can be solid. I think people just tend to notice his miscues on the defensive side. Because sometimes it's so apparent.
On the lineup side, the lineup he's played most in is this one:
Lebron
D39
Rondo
Alex
Kuz
That lineup has played 46 mins in 9 games and has a def rating of 89.7. DANG! 89.7! That's crazy. Who would have thought that a lineup that has Kuz, Rondo and Lebron would have a def rating of 89.7.
It's been a great quarter of the season! |
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