Lakers wing Kyle Kuzma has impressed with his perimeter shooting since the NBA restart, knocking dowm 44.4% of his looks from behind the arc in the NBA bubble. Backing up what head coach Frank Vogel said about Kuzma being one of the best players during the mini-training camp inside the bubble, Kuzma’s shooting has inspired enough confidence that Vogel drew up the game-winning play for him vs the Nuggets.
The sample size of 36 attempts is so small that the data has to be taken with a grain of salt, but Kuzma has shown key improvements in his jumper that may have led to his improved shooting. I detailed those improvements in this video:
So there you have it: Kuzma displays much better balance and rhythm on his shots, with improved fludity and synergy throughout his shot mechanics and a form that is a hybrid between his rookie season and what he showed over the summer. Kuzma’s hard work during the quarantine delay is paying off, and we can only hope it continues. As LeBron said, Kuzma’s potential as the third best player will be critical to the team’s championship aspirations. Whether one believes that or not, him continuing to shoot like this can clearly only serve as a further boon to the Lakers' title hopes.
Dr. Rajpal Brar has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 1.5 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), and analyzes the Lakers from a medical perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and Laker Film Room.