Kyle Kuzma bucks Lakers’ cold shooting trend in the bubble

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — In five games in the bubble, the 3-ball simply hasn’t been falling for the Lakers, who are at the bottom of the restart in 3-point shooting at just 24.3%.

Every player on the roster is below their season average with the exception of two Lakers: Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma.

One of just four players with a positive plus-minus rating in the restart, Kuzma is averaging 14.4 points and four rebounds while shooting 12 for 26 from behind the arc. The third-year forward has hit five more 3-pointers than anyone on the team, including season-long spacing threats Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Kuzma has maintained throughout the restart that he’s healthy, had time to lift weights in the hiatus while coming off a foot injury before the season, and that his commitment is showing.

“I’m a little more healthier, but I’ve had time to really just put in work,” he said. “That’s what I do. That’s my DNA. So I’m going to naturally get better because of how hard I work.”

But one of the areas Kuzma has showed up noticeably is on defense, where the Lakers have thrown him on players such as Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam, some of the toughest matchups in the league. While the Lakers have given up points to those players, coaches have been pleased with Kuzma’s effort on that end since the restart began.

Kuzma pointed to a mentality shift in his game to the defensive side of the ball – he implied worrying less about his scoring has ironically helped him score more.

“I never judge my performances no more off of trying to score and having that certain amount of points, because that’s not my situation,” he said. “That’s not the situation I’m in. The situation I’m in is trying to figure out my niche, and defending at a high level, and being a great teammate, and that’s what I can do.”

That echoed a sentiment Jared Dudley said he had tried to emphasize to Kuzma last month, when he also referred to him as “the third star” of the team. Kuzma’s season has been marked by injury setbacks and lower overall production, but the Lakers have remained hopeful he can add to their championship aspirations.

“He’s the one I thought I could help the most, he’s the one I thought had the most potential to take us over the top,” Dudley said last month. “So for me, it’s letting him know, ‘Hey, your time’s coming, this is what you can improve on while you’re on the floor, when you’re not on the floor with them, and then don’t look at numbers, don’t look at stats.’”

Talen Horton-Tucker thriving

When he got an invite to the Disney campus for the restart, Talen Horton-Tucker had become used to not expecting too much. A rookie on a veteran-laden contending team can’t look forward to big minutes: Through the first 67 games of the regular season, he had played fewer than six minutes.

So when he checked in during the first quarter against the Rockets, albeit on a night when the Lakers were missing ball-handlers, it was a bit of a system shock for the 19-year-old guard who so far has just been along for the ride. Days before, he had been scrimmaging with two-way contract players Devontae Cacok and Kostas Antetokounmpo. On Thursday night, he was facing James Harden.

“It’s actually great for me,” he said, “because if I want to be on the court, I’m going to have to guard players like that.”

Horton-Tucker is well-liked in the Lakers’ locker room, where he’s been only sporadically as he’s spent most of his playing time with the South Bay Lakers, with wom he averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4 assists. He’s also been a part of the chemistry of the team – a video by JaVale McGee captured Horton-Tucker fishing with McGee and Alex Caruso.

Kyle Kuzma said his best trait is humility: Teammates can sense he’s grateful to be present and learning.

“I think that as a young player on a team like this, with his physique and his ability to get downhill and make special plays, it’s only gonna serve him well, just being around us every day and learning,” Kuzma said. “And that’s important for a young player, especially him. Super raw, but he’s got a lot of talent.”

Horton-Tucker’s first NBA points came against the Rockets: He scored 10. His first basket came almost immediately after checking in during the first quarter. While he tried to exert a veteran-level coolness about getting on the board in his postgame press conference, a little youthful exuberance shone through as he talked about it.

“Everybody wants to score,” he said, grinning. “But you know I just want to get on the floor to be able to play with those guys. It’s actually been pretty good for me, the experience here.”