Not when I get mocked for the suggestion. Not picking on Russell for crissakes don't get your panties in a bunch..... just saying that I see a tall Klay Thompson lite capability possibly in Kuzma as well and that (I believe) could conceivably beat Russell out for the spot. Or is tall Klay Thompson lite just too ....way wild too? Look at the clips your boy, LVBD, just put together. I'm not the first person to go there. It's been said weeks ago.
I don't see Kuzma at the 2. I see him as a poor mans Carmelo Anthony, but willing to play defense. Can't wait to see him with Ball and Lopez. And Randle will really benefit from those 3 on the court with him (and I don't even like Randle).
Not full time. No one gets this? In a pinch? No one seems to have a problem slotting BI there in a pinch and he can't even f****** shoot yet.
Sigh. Fine if we must go there. No. I don't agree with that and I don't think that's what the Laker Film Room was getting at. I think Russell and Kuzma would have played at the same time with Ball. I don't think Kuzma is a 2.
It seems like you're broadening your parameters and what would make you correct in the assessment: Could Kuzma start over Russell at SG? No. Russell is a better SG. Could Kuzma be better than Russell at SG for 15-20 minutes a game? No. Russell is still better in that regard. Could Kuzma be better for one possession or 5 minutes in a game? Yeah sure. But it's a small sample size and doesn't do either player justice. Kuzma might be a Klay Thompson-esque player (he's got a long, hard journey to get there), but that doesn't have to mean he's a SG and it's not honestly a conversation that needs to be had. Kuzma can be better than Russell on his own accord in his own place as a forward (and vice versa if Russell figures things out). I don't understand why it's even a topic honestly. Kuzma is a forward and has the look of a really, really valuable player.
Again see BI and the conversations that don't seem silly or outrageous around here about if need be at times playing HIM out of position at the 2. Well if need be I am just saying that Kuzma clearly at this stage in their development would be a better choice in and emergency if needed at the 2. I know Elgin that that is not what LFR was getting at, but I am looking at his quickness and skills on the perimeter that LFR is showing there really clearly. This is all I am saying. If you think no way in hell he could hack it in a pinch then tell me why, or why BI could do better there. All we have really behind KCP is Hart. One of them gets hurt? Brewer can't shoot.
Never, never, never, never over the course of the season even consider eating up some minutes with Kuz at the 2 in any kind of major foul trouble or injury to our 2 guard depth? Because you so clearly say why that should be the case? But you never do, and what you have said about foot speed on D LFR just showed that he is doing pretty well with it. Or maybe I am just missing all those other reasons? Is BI better there? Why? Brewer can't shoot.
Again: you're moving the post here. Are we comparing D'Angelo to Kuzma still? Or are we now talking about Kuzma just playing a little bit of the SG spot? I already admitted he can do it in a small stretch, that doesn't mean he'd be better than D'Angelo at it. He has good foot speed for a forward just like Julius Randle is really, really fast for a big man. That doesn't mean Julius should be out there racing John Wall and it doesn't mean Kuzma should be out there chasing around CJ McCollum, Klay Thompson, and DeMar DeRozan for long stretches of time. Can he do it on a switch during a game? Sure. I don't know what you're looking for from us as an answer anymore.
I think throwing in Russell threw me off to what you are saying. I think I get what you are asking now. He's got great footwork but I don't think it translates to being able to play the 2. Could he do it in stretches here and there? Maybe, but I'm not sure how long especially at this stage in his career. Maybe down the road at some point.
I know he is a 3 and 4 someday maybe consistently when he is heavier. Right now my only point is that if you wanted to keep Kuzma on the team but the only way to do that was for him to beat out Russell against all odds (?) (not my odds) at the 2 spot ..... aside from everyone "saying" Russell is the better 2 guard .... no one is spelling out with both their repertoires and skills on offense why Russell is obviously better or Russell chasing all those same guys around on D with his not fabulous athleticism and shorter height and lesser frame, why he is hands down better on D as well? This is of course his first season formally at the 2 spot. Glad you are all so sure about how well he does at not getting lit up a lot. Now it becomes off topic here. I guess bottom line is if anyone is still suggesting to fit minutes in for our key players by design or by need in case of emergency, by playing BI at the 2, then no, put Kuzma there instead. Unless Ingram starts hitting his shots again and playing like he was at the end of last season then of course he could too. Hell he could play point occasionally as well and has done that before.
Simplifying .... and moving forward. No more Russell in the equation, LVBD. Who do you like better at the 2, in an emergency? BI or Kuzma? Why?
I'll chime in and say neither. If you want to make a case for taking the Warrior's model of positionless basketball to its logical extreme, then yeah, but then you don't even need to identify guards vs. forwards. Just put your four best mid-sized players on the court with one relatively big guy and play ball. Both Kuz and BI would be among our 4 best. But if you are maintaining any semblance of traditional positions, then no, neither one of them is a SG. At all.
I'd say BI has better guard skills though. He was a better than average passer last year, I refuse to believe he forgot that in one offseason. Remember that article about him playing pg most of his life?
Okay this is easier to answer: Right now it's Kuzma, but ideally you don't have to make this decision. It's easy to replace Ingram right now when he's struggling so badly, but we desperately need him to be better. If you want specific reasons why Kuzma is not ideal for the SG spot it comes down to two things: speed and lateral quickness. Kuzma may have good speed for his size, but most SGs are going to be much faster and more importantly much quicker than Kuzma. He could switch and defend guards when necessary, but putting him in that position means putting him at a disadvantage. He would benefit more from playing against bigger guys where his speed and quickness can be used more often.
