Game 59: Los Angeles Lakers (45-13) @ New Orleans Pelicans (26-33) - 8:00 PM ET

[Landsberger]

Kuz is an automatic 20 as a starter yet again

You can see that when he feels needed offensively he goes into attack mode. He is really struggling with the role when Davis and Bron are in the game with him but when someone's out he's able to step in scoring just about every time.

But he is really needed offensively esp when AD And/or Lebron is on the bench. The difference IMO is that if AD is in uniform, Kuzma has very little Latitude,Vogel is very impatient to bring back Davis from the bench asap when Kyle and bench teammates make mistakes.

The way the offense is run when either Bron or Davis is on the floor with Kuz doesn't "need" Kuz to do anything but stand in the corner. If both of those guys are healthy the opportunities are pretty equal if you're Dudley, Bradley or Kuzma. Space the floor screen for one of those 2. It's what we are and it's working so while I'd love to see a more motion style offense with multiple guys attacking I can't blame Vogel for staying with this.

[Mamba Mentality]

Lebron burned Jrue their previous meeting, so what do the Pelicans elect to do...leave Hart on an island with Lebron with the game hanging in the balance. Alvin Gentry is quite the defensive visionary.

[tamaraw08]

You can see that when he feels needed offensively he goes into attack mode. He is really struggling with the role when Davis and Bron are in the game with him but when someone's out he's able to step in scoring just about every time.

But he is really needed offensively esp when AD And/or Lebron is on the bench. The difference IMO is that if AD is in uniform, Kuzma has very little Latitude,Vogel is very impatient to bring back Davis from the bench asap when Kyle and bench teammates make mistakes.

The way the offense is run when either Bron or Davis is on the floor with Kuz doesn't "need" Kuz to do anything but stand in the corner. If both of those guys are healthy the opportunities are pretty equal if you're Dudley, Bradley or Kuzma. Space the floor screen for one of those 2. It's what we are and it's working so while I'd love to see a more motion style offense with multiple guys attacking I can't blame Vogel for staying with this.

I understand your point. It just seems to me whenever AD sits, Lebron gets super aggressive and want to get more shots. Interesting stat combo tho, The Kuzma/lebron combo is a +14, a trio of Kuz,James,Rondo is +18.2 but again the problem for me is that Vogel loves to play AD heavy mins and the highest combo production with AD and Kuzma plus KCP with -1.7 at 311 mins together. Next to that is -6-9 pts with Kuzma/AD and Rondo.

[tamaraw08]

Lebron burned Jrue their previous meeting, so what do the Pelicans elect to do...leave Hart on an island with Lebron with the game hanging in the balance. Alvin Gentry is quite the defensive visionary.

I strongly feel that Gentry is over rated. He has been unsuccessful most of the time even with good players. His best stint was when he was in Phoenix, inheriting an offensive machine created by D'Antoni. The Clippers stint with Bland, Cassell could have gone better IMO.
But this particular game, I felt the Lakers won bec they hit their shots not bec of great strategies. Outcome could have gone either way if the Lakers didn't hit their shots, it's odd that the Lakers allowed this team to play at their fast tempo instead of frustrating them with a walk up drag in the mud pace.

[Landsberger]

But he is really needed offensively esp when AD And/or Lebron is on the bench. The difference IMO is that if AD is in uniform, Kuzma has very little Latitude,Vogel is very impatient to bring back Davis from the bench asap when Kyle and bench teammates make mistakes.

The way the offense is run when either Bron or Davis is on the floor with Kuz doesn't "need" Kuz to do anything but stand in the corner. If both of those guys are healthy the opportunities are pretty equal if you're Dudley, Bradley or Kuzma. Space the floor screen for one of those 2. It's what we are and it's working so while I'd love to see a more motion style offense with multiple guys attacking I can't blame Vogel for staying with this.

I understand your point. It just seems to me whenever AD sits, Lebron gets super aggressive and want to get more shots. Interesting stat combo tho, The Kuzma/lebron combo is a +14, a trio of Kuz,James,Rondo is +18.2 but again the problem for me is that Vogel loves to play AD heavy mins and the highest combo production with AD and Kuzma plus KCP with -1.7 at 311 mins together. Next to that is -6-9 pts with Kuzma/AD and Rondo.

The problem I have with those cumulative ± totals is that it implies that a - means a poor performance. Drawing conclusions from it is dubious IMHO. Games have dynamic flows to them.... no one expands their lead wire to wire... which is what having a positive ± for both starters and bench groups means.

At best it's a validation of the eye test. One guy can have a -10 in a game and have outplayed the other 4 he's on the floor with by a wide margin. More than not ± is used to reinforce a personal bias it seems.

To Kuzma specifically. You can see when he feels like he needs to score and when he is told to differ. It's obvious in his engagement level. Bron, Davis and Vogel are all on the record saying that Bron and Davis will be the focus of the offense and others will be in roles. What we're seeing in Kuzma's production scoring wise is, and has been, planned.

[kblo247]

In the games where Kuzma has put up at least 14 shots (12) - He’s avg 21.8ppg

In the games where Kuzma has started (7) - He’s avg 20.3ppg

In the games where Kuzma has played 30+mpg (7) - He’s avg 22.6ppg

[Landsberger]

In the games where Kuzma has put up at least 14 shots (12) - He’s avg 21.8ppg

In the games where Kuzma has started (7) - He’s avg 20.3ppg

In the games where Kuzma has played 30+mpg (7) - He’s avg 22.6ppg

But he "flat out sucks".... how can this be?

I looked at his scoring a few months ago over his first 2 years and posted that when he scored over 15 points we won more games than when either Ball or Ingram scored over 15. In the case of Ingram a lot more.

When he's in the right position he can do what he does best but it's hard when you touch the ball 1 or 2 times in the 4th quarter.

Again, he'll bounce back next year when he's in a better situation somewhere else. We'll have another 10+ year vet to "Bro" with Bron in his place.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Kuz is an automatic 20 as a starter yet again

You can see that when he feels needed offensively he goes into attack mode. He is really struggling with the role when Davis and Bron are in the game with him but when someone's out he's able to step in scoring just about every time.

But he is really needed offensively esp when AD And/or Lebron is on the bench. The difference IMO is that if AD is in uniform, Kuzma has very little Latitude,Vogel is very impatient to bring back Davis from the bench asap when Kyle and bench teammates make mistakes.

Wasn’t the opposite of that why we didn’t like Luke?

[Landsberger]

You can see that when he feels needed offensively he goes into attack mode. He is really struggling with the role when Davis and Bron are in the game with him but when someone's out he's able to step in scoring just about every time.

But he is really needed offensively esp when AD And/or Lebron is on the bench. The difference IMO is that if AD is in uniform, Kuzma has very little Latitude,Vogel is very impatient to bring back Davis from the bench asap when Kyle and bench teammates make mistakes.

Wasn’t the opposite of that why we didn’t like Luke?

Vogel has very rigid rotations down to the minute it seems. Luke was still looking up what "rotations" means.....

In all fairness to Luke... he was trying to bail out a rowboat with a teaspoon. He wasn't given much of anything to deal with. Romper-Room and a few vet retreads and a 3 ring circus in the FO.

To Kuzma specially, he has excelled in faster paced games with more "broken" floor action. When Bron is on the floor it's about as opposite of that as you can get. We rarely get below the 3 point line with more than 8 seconds on the clock. I'd love it if Kuz could find a way to be more productive offensively but I'm not sure he can with this set up.... i'm not sure anyone can.

I see Kuz somewhere else next year for one of 2 reasons. The FO wants another vet for Bron or Kuz wants out so he can recover his chances at a big payday. Both of those things are wanted by both sides IMHO.