Houston Rockets: 5 players to avoid in the 2017 NBA Draft

2. Kyle Kuzma, PF, Colorado

Kyle Kuzma, the junior forward out of Utah, is supposed to have potential as a 3-and-D type player. Only there’s one problem (okay, two problems): Both his defense and his outside shooting are suspect.

Kuzma only shot 32.1 percent from the three-point line last season and 30.2 percent throughout his college career. He seems to be able to make shots at the top of the key, but not anywhere else outside the three-point line.

For Kuzma, it doesn’t matter if he is catching and shooting or shooting off the dribble, he just isn’t efficient. Although, he’s probably worse shooting off the dribble than anything else.

He struggles with his mechanics on defense, which makes it difficult for him to slide his feet and stay in front of his man. He’s also not always where he should be when playing off-ball defense. This makes it difficult for him to recover to his man and keep him from scoring.

His average athleticism can pose problems for him as well. Given that he doesn’t have the fundamentals to rely on, he can’t trust his athleticism to carry him either.

Kuzma does have long arms with a seven-foot wingspan, which means that if he can correct his defensive fundamentals, he could really become a force on that end. Just, you know, for another team.