Kilroy wrote:Kuzma's problem has never been having the occasional great performance, though... His problem is that he'll have a night or 2 and then go into hibernation for weeks. And looking completely lost on both ends of the floor during those stretches when his shot isn't falling...
His other problem was seeming to have those big nights in garbage time... Or in the 1st quarter and then doing nothing the rest of the game...
To your first point. I agree that he was inconsistent however he was more consistent than his teammates over the last couple of years aside from Lebron. Kuz had stretches of very consistent play when Ingram was on the shelf for instance. My guess is that the lack of any consistency in PT or role on the floor was partly to blame for all of the youth's inconsistencies. They never knew who'd they be on the floor with from game to game much less half to half.
To the second point. I disagree here. Kuz had huge 4th quarters in most of our big wins. His best scoring was typically in the first and 4th quarters. He had some real spark performances that changed game outcomes. This is the one thing I saw in him that I only saw in one of our other young guys.... Nance. Kuz scored at least 20 points in a game last year 29 times. We were 14-15 in those games. 8 of those winning games we won by at least 8 points while 7 of the losses were by that margin or more. That's well above our winning %. So, him getting 20 gave us a much better chance of winning. His biggest scoring game (41) he didn't play in the 4th quarter because we were winning in a blowout.
24 times he shot .357 or better from 3 last year..... we won 18 of those games! That's what we call positive correlation. 31 times in his rookies season with 16 wins.
It's my hope that a consistent role where he actually has a role other than floor spacer will open up some of what we've glimpsed in the past in bursts. He's shown he can score going to the hoop, in the paint, from midrange and from deep. He doesn't have much of a post game (understatement) but when he does drive with the ball he does have decent vision for a PF and can make some nice passes. With the dual isolation roles of Ingram and LeBron last year he had to score in a catch and shoot role more than not.
Defensively I'm seeing some growth in terms of knowing where to be and he's been good within the system. He still gambles and leaves his man and breaks the defense at times but he's not the horrendous defender he's being made out to be.
I'm fine with him playing this year out for us as the primary bench scorer. He's far from being one of our problems this year. Once the year's over his trade value will rise to next years salary then he becomes a piece we could trade if a PG is that important.... which to date I'd say it isn't.
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