of course they will. but they won't max if they don't want to get laughed out. also, we don't have to worry about sunk costs. lonzo is one of their big pieces from the AD trade and a former #2 overall pick. if they let him walk, the return on the trade starts to look even worse. we don't have this problem, as kuz is an overperforming late first. i think it's very different. also, kuz won't be costing us a shot at competing, even if he's overpaid. we have two stars in place and lots of flexibility going forward in a destination market. we can operate over the cap and still have a chance to bring in talent. NO's only chance to draw talent is via moneywhipping FAs. every dollar counts more there.
I'd let Kuzma take his talent elsewhere before I gave him any sort raise. I don't see it being beneficial to us to keep the kid at a higher cost.
yeah, no. tbh, that's what people said about clarkson, and i think we'd love to have him back at the salary we signed him to. kuz is looking at that kind of money is my guess.
Do you think Kuzma will get better? I just feel like he is what he is. And he thinks he's better than he is. Dangerous combo.
I disagree. He has improved his ability to play within a system and his defense. On almost any other team that doesn't have two stars on the level of Lebron and Davis, he is going to increase all his numbers. Playing on a championship team with 2 superstars is a much more limiting factor for a guy like Kuzma. Considering his limitations, I really think he is doing a good job. The ONLY way we trade him is IF we can find a solid consistent scorer to replace him, while finding some good defensive guys to get minutes too. Kuzma has skills and someone else will gladly pay him knowing he has upside and was limited in his role here.
i think he's still got a little room for improvement. the shot should improve some, and i think he's been better defensively and even off the dribble this year. his numbers suffered due to the diminished role and the fact that he often didn't share the floor with lebron. i don't know how good he thinks he is, but the league has a way of fixing that for you. yeah, i honestly think a swap of kuz for a covington type (preferably a younger version, though) would make sense. i wonder if dallas would consider seth curry and dorian finney smith (wing defender with improving standstill three) for kuz. then again, they don't need much help scoring, so maybe that doesn't make sense for them. but that's the kind of thing you consider. still, kuz is a solid player whose rights we control right now, so that's a positive.
His shot is looking much improved. Still isn’t an ideal shot because of how he has to bring it down then up, but the release is no longer directly in front of his face and swung in from the left side, it’s straight up and that elbow looks pretty locked, good to see
yeah, that looks much better. not sure why it took so long to do this. i'll still be fine with caruso at half the cost or less.
He actually had changed his shot to look pretty much like that prior to the start of this past season. Numbers should go up as it becomes his comfortable form. How's Markelle Fultz's shot doing now? I think he was back to some semblance of normal looking release last year too.
I have come to terms with the fact that I am a Lonzo stan, and he has joined Bynum in my list of former Lakers that I will irrationally defend forever. Fair warning to the rest of the forum, any Lonzo slander WILL trigger me
