I disagree about Green. He's a nice expiring deal. Teams will be looking to shed salary this offseason after they look at their post-COVID books.
Kuz played well in spurts but then kind of disappeared again and that's why he wasn't put back in (rightfully so). I appreciate his effort tho on D - porter jsut got him a few times on that pump fake. Kuz will learn and adjust I feel. Still waiting for a signature Kuz game but maybe we'll have to wait until the finals?
I thought he played really well in Game 3 in that 4th quarter. Overall, I still like what I've seen from him. I guess for me having seen this with Lebron when you move to becoming a 3rd or 4th wheel on a title chasing team you're role need to change and he's progressed well on what this team needs from him (off ball and defense.) His inconsistent scoring I think will be better next year: 1) he's better with a higher volume of shots and the team hasn't figured out how to do that when you have 2 definite better scorers then him. 2) He's doesn't have great chemistry with Rondo, Lebron is better at finding him but with playoff Rondo you're not going to take away Rondo's minutes. Overall, next year I would try him as a starter in "big" lineup ahead of Green (hell I'd try it now tbh because Green sucks so hard) and I think that will help him bring his scoring to be more consistent
ehhh, Green is more consistent on defense, Kuzma was getting destroyed by MPJ during that last game, that concerns me a little. I would NOT replace Green with him at this point in the season simply out of chemistry concerns. As it is, it seems like Greens minutes have been slightly waning anyhow. Maybe you can inch in to that a tiny little bit but that would be the most I would consider. Another off season of work and possible roster changes and we will see what next year brings. By seeing how other teams have faired against us this year, it will dictate what changes we need to make.
He’s gotta be better in the Finals, he’s got to. We can’t be relying on LeBron for 40 mins because Kuz is a liability. He’s got to at least give solid minutes to get LeBron some rest, I’m not giving up on him, here’s hoping the rest of the guys get him motivated or whatever he needs to get out of his head.
We can rely on Lebron and AD for 40 min in the Finals. It's the Finals. Besides, Lakers beat Denver like a drum. The Heat and C Bags are inferior to Denver. Lakers may sweep the Finals. Lakers in 5 at worst.
Kuzma will because he may never get here again because (a) he'll be part of a trade or (b) he'll get a sizable offer soon that he cannot turn down and we can't match.
We CAN, but it’s not wise to do so. LeBron is almost 36, in normal times his 18th season would be starting about now, the more he has to carry the greater the injury risk. I’m not saying LeBron needs to play 25 mins per game, of course not, I’m just saying I hope Kuz can play better so LeBron can get closer to 35 mins.
Lakers need to do whatever possible to win 4 more games. Let Rob and the Lakers start prepping for resting Lebron for next years team.
Steady play at both ends tonight. Chipped in some points too. No Michael Porter Jr. out there to take personally...
Missed 6 of his 7 shots (didn't seem that bad till I checked the box), but was active on the glass with 8 rebounds and a couple nice finds with adjusts. Like GC said, glad there's no Porter out there to completely take him out of his game.
As long as Kuzma hustles for rebounds and defends, you can't stay mad at him. He's a player who needs 10-15 shots per game to have an impact so he's doing the most with what he can. He'll get his ring and is young so I hope he can get a nice contract after his current contract expires. I just don't see him as a good fit for what the Lakers need in terms of a consistent player.
Kuzma was switched onto Butler on cross matches. Did not flinch. If he can go toe to toe with Apples Leonard in spots, confident with him on Jimmy Buckets.
