Can't believe he didn't get that call at the end of the game shooting that 3 when his follow through hand was clearly hit. MY GOODNESS, WHAT BS.
Now he's got nothing but good words for the kid when he actually tried so hard to screw up his psyche by benching him for a couple of weeks. Sent from my E6533 using Tapatalk
I believe he is our best player...for now. No one can create offensively in so many ways than he can and with his efficiency. He needs to stay starting.
Okay. Seen enough. I’m getting me a Kuzma jersey. This kid is sensational and he’s done it long enough that I fully believe this isn’t a fluke. He’s not going anywhere. Oh and btw he’s a rookie so he’s gonna get even better.
Is that really justified? A coach can’t have input into the development of an aggressive rookie during the early part of his rookie season? No teachable moments existed? Having him sit at those times, while many were complaining about it, may have contributed to his current play.
Besides, his defense is still a giant work in progress. Kuzma scored 31 points, but he allowed Taj Gibson to go for 23/9 on 11/13 from the field. For reference, Taj is averaging 11.6 points per game on the year shooting 56% from the field. Kuzma is going to see the bench sometimes and he'll need it because he's got a long way to go still before he's a real well-rounded player. That's not taking anything away from him, it's just the truth.
Not here to preach. And I can't question coaches for their decisions thinking what I have in mind is right or better. What do I know? The point is, he's always been a little too critical with Kyle even during nights when he did splendidly well. Last night actually wasn't that great of a night with a couple or more forced shots and all Luke said was, "it was all within the system". Justified? Maybe not. But it just felt like Luke being critical before about Kyle's game was made just to make the decision of starting LNJ over him look good despite him thriving as a starter and not about giving a starting nod to the player who truly deserves it. Has Kyle's game markedly improved since then? Nope. Or did Nance suddenly is playing horrible? Not really. So why is Kyle starting now? I know there's more to the game than just scoring. Point taken. More to strategy than just starting your best players (chemistry, familiarity, what is and what not) again, taken. And my comment wasn't made to flat out blast Luke for his decision making. It was more of a reaction to his sudden change in tone when he speaks about Kuzma. Why? Is it because of the pressure that more and more fans are drawn to the young guy's game and he isn't? --- And by the way, I was being cute about my post when I clicked 'reply'. Sent from my E6533 using Tapatalk
Oh no question. He's a below decent defender. You can see it in his footwork in one on one, PnR, help out, everything at the defensive end but rebounding. Knack just isn't there. And he's gotta work hard to fix it if he wants to push his game to another level. Another big hole in his game? His passing or lack thereof. Sent from my E6533 using Tapatalk
I hear your criticism, but it begs the question why would Luke sit him down or, as you say, be critical of him? Either it is for the purpose of helping him improve, which is part of Luke’s job, or Luke has a teenage like grievance/jealousy towards Kuzma. What else could it be?
Totally agree with this and it happens at all levels. My son is 12 and plays up in AAU basketball. In the first 4 minutes of a game he scored 14 points on 5-6 shooting. However, he gave up several easy buckets that caused the coach to sit him down. After the game the coach told him that it wouldn't matter if he scored 25 if he gave up 24 because that isn't doing anything for the team. My son is a great defender so he took that to heart. Can't be only offensive minded. I think many times these guys don't look it in that way. For Kuzma, he has the athleticism and smarts to be a good to very good defender. Defense is about effort and playing smart. Hart is a perfect example of a solid defender who can also contribute on the offensive side of the ball. I would say that Hart doesn't have the skills that Kuzma has so it comes down to effort and playing smart. I really love that kid. He is fun to watch.
