Los Angeles Lakers: 2017-18 player grades for Kyle Kuzma

One of the best surprises of the 2017-18 season, let’s take a look at Kyle Kuzma’s rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Kyle Kuzma with the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, they expected to get a multi-positional player that could play up-tempo and fit their system. What they probably did not see coming was Kuz immediately turning into a fan favorite on and off the court.

The rookie from Utah’s hype train started in NBA Summer League where he was named MVP of the title game after putting up 30 points (six 3-pointers made) and 10 rebounds, and led the Lakers, along with Lonzo Ball who missed the title game, to a Vegas title. Yes, it was only summer league, but his positive play continued into the regular season, proving the summer outburst was no fluke.

Kyle Kuzma averaged 16.1 points per game, tied with Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle for the team lead, while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from the 3-point line. He also grabbed 6.3 rebounds to go along with 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

Let’s begin our review of Kuzma by honing in on his strengths.