Convince me why KCP should start over Kuz??

[TKainZero]

Because Ingram is much better at SF. Bron is better playing PF. We need KCP's defense as a starter. We need Kuzma's offense off the bench.

I was gonna say pretty much exactly his



Maybe there will be some lineups where the lakers go super small and have Ingram at center (like vs the warriors when they run durrant at center) and have zo/kcp/Kuz/bron/Ingram

[Pythagoras]

I'd much rather make room for Kuz than Ingram if it comes to that. Kuz was dropping 20/10s every other game after the ASG, I don't remember Ingram ever having a stretch of games like that.

Ingram spent the month of Feb dropping 20-5-5 on efficiency that Kuz never came close to during any of his scoring binges.

[dub81]

In the beginning of the season when the Lakers played Portland in Portland the game went into overtime.

The last seconds of the game BI was on Dame and Dame got separation and shot over him with the game winning 3.

That's KCP's matchup or Zo. BI is a three. If he's playing the two he has to chase around small guards and I don't think that's a good look.

[Showtime:Part2]

kuzma>>>> kcp but you don’t always start your 5 best players the way pop and phil brought manu and Odom off the Bench. Stephenson can’t carry a bench scoring effort by himself.

[Landsberger]

While I think KCP's defense is wildly overrated when you look at what he does off the ball (which is more important than on the ball defense to a team) Kuzma isn't a 2 defensively.

Even if Ingram gets traded Kuzma will be relegated to the bench. He may get starter minutes (especially if he takes a step forward) but he's still the energy/scoring guy of the bench at the moment.

[Frank Dux]

Nothing wrong with having a stud come off the bench. That’s a luxury and a good problem to have.

[Kilroy]

Kuzma's going to have the second most pressure on him to improve next to Ball... On top of the pressure of playing on a winning team next to LeBron in LA... It's going to be tough for him... And I think projecting what he's going to do this season is a little tougher than a lot of fans expect... Sophomore seasons are hard... Greater expectations, fewer excuses, etc... But playing next to LeBron is only going to make it tougher...
Personally, I expect a little bit of a step back from Kuz... Or if not an actual step back, at least a perception that he has, because the spotlight is going to be on him more...

Funny to me... Dude was talking about being the best in the game... Now he plays next to him. What's funnier is he seemed to KNOW he was going to be playing next to LeBron... And still...

[Vae Victus]

Kuz will be fine as long as he doesnt force things. The beauty of having Lebron is that all the attention on him opens up the floor for the rest of the team.

As long as Kuzma keeps a cool head on him and pick his spots, his own efficiencies will skyrocket.

Also Kuzma needs to hustle 110% on D, if there's anything that better not slack, is his defensive intensity.

[Pythagoras]

Early in the season last year, KCP was a bit of a gunner, and that rubbed people the wrong way (fairly). By the end of the year though, he had bought in completely as a 3 and D player and he was the team’s second best player behind Randle. He ended up having a really nice season, and I think he will benefit from Lebron being here more than Kuzma and Ingram (both of whom I also think will benefit).

19th in RPM and 14th in ESPN Wins stat, out of 111 players at the SG position

21st in VORP, 26th in BPM, and 25th in WS out of 116 guards who qualified for the MPG leaderboard according to basketball-reference.com

Re-signing him was pretty easily our second best move of the offseason.

[JohnVancouver]

Early in the season last year, KCP was a bit of a gunner, and that rubbed people the wrong way (fairly). By the end of the year though, he had bought in completely as a 3 and D player and he was the team’s second best player behind Randle. He ended up having a really nice season, and I think he will benefit from Lebron being here more than Kuzma and Ingram (both of whom I also think will benefit).

19th in RPM and 14th in ESPN Wins stat, out of 111 players at the SG position

21st in VORP, 26th in BPM, and 25th in WS out of 116 guards who qualified for the MPG leaderboard according to basketball-reference.com

Re-signing him was pretty easily our second best move of the offseason.

Yup - i think he knows he won the lotto coming here, too.

[Ballerhogger]

i think kuzma is going win starting job over him ,

[stan francisco]

I’ve gone back and forth between the same two starting lineups: 1) LB-BI-KK-LBJ-JMG and 2) LB-KCP-BI-LBJ-JMG. I clearly prefer the first one. However, looking at the balance of the second unit, for the 48 minute total, it might make us stronger to go with number 2 to start games. A second unit of Rondo-Hart-Stephenson-Kuzma-(Zu or McGee) should be able to kill other benches.

[Kilroy]

I think a pretty clear message has been sent that this team is going to be built around smash mouth basketball... Tough D and inside playmaking...
That's not really Kuzma's game... KCP fits better.

[stan francisco]

^Yup.

Showtime 2.0 = pit bull defense, run the break. Hence the playmaker emphasis. LBJ, Lonzo, Ingram, KCP can possibly run the break at a showtime clip.

Best “small ball” 5: PG: Ball SG: Caldwell-Pope: SF: Ingram PF: Kuzma C: LBJ