Kyle Kuzma keeps up with Kyrie Irving in Los Angeles
After a scorching start that included 31 points on Christmas day, 38 in a win against the Rockets and 27 in a neck and neck battle with the Warriors, Lakers’ rookie Kyle Kuzma has hit a bit of a cold spell. His name was blowing up in circles all around the NBA, but as Los Angeles’ season has spiraled into chaos, we’ve heard less and less about the breakout star of the 2017 draft.
Most of the credit for this misfortune can be placed on the Lakers’ inability to close games and find consistency, but Kuzma shares much of the blame as his performance has tapered off in recent weeks. While he’ll certainly achieve All-Rookie First Team honors at the end of his first go-round, his status as Rookie of the Year contender has been severely derailed, if not completely erased by the meteoric rise of Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell and the impact of Jayson Tatum on the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics.
Last night, Kuzma reminded the league just how dangerous he can be when he’s dialed in as he dropped 28 points off the bench in a monumental 108-107 Lakers win over the Celtics. Despite losing his starting gig to Julius Randle, the multifaceted scorer rose up without a hint of hesitation to drain five of his seven tries from downtown.
Boston’s starters couldn’t seem to get themselves going, but that didn’t stop superstar Kyrie Irving from trying to carry the team on his back. The elusive point guard bobbed and weaved his way through the porous Laker defense as he scored 33 points and dished out four assists. He probably would’ve finished with more dimes if it hadn’t been for the poor shooting of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The showing from Boston’s stars was unusually cold and it’s unlikely to continue as the Celtics move forward. Head Coach Brad Stevens and his team shouldn’t be discouraged by the outlier loss to Los Angeles, but it should serve as a lesson to their team. As good as they’ve been, they’re not invincible, and that much is clear when you lose to a lowly Lakers squad.
As for the Lakers, the win should help reestablish their confidence and the winning mentality they came out of the gates with to start their season. Los Angeles sits well out of reach of the playoff picture at 18-29, but tacking on a few statement victories here and there can only help a young team that’s still learning how to win.
While they’re certainly not the Showtime Lakers of the 80’s or the Shaq and Kobe Lakers of the 2000’s, with the immense talent that permeates their roster, it’s hard to imagine they’ll be this bad for much longer. I know it’s frustrating to watch such promising players make such boneheaded plays, but growing pains are just part of the process of rebuilding a franchise.
Modern day empires like the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors weren’t built in a day, they were groomed carefully over a number of years and maintained with a hunger for greatness and a disdain for complacency. Obviously, the Lakers aren’t there yet, but under the guidance of one of the brightest young coaches in the NBA, Luke Walton, it finally feels like they’re headed in the right direction.
