Finding his groove helps cue Kuzma’s game
Though Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton- Tucker started both preseason games for the Lakers and were impressive, Kuzma is the only one who has a realistic chance at starting.
The Lakers defeated the Clippers 131- 106 on Sunday night at Staples Center for the second time in three days. The teams will meet again Dec. 22 in the season opener.
Before then, the Lakers travel to Phoenix to play the Suns in preseason games on Wednesday and Friday.
Here are f ive observations of the team:
Kuzma’s comfort level
It was easy to see how relaxed Kuzma was on the court. He mostly let the offense come to him and was not in a rush. He had 25 points, six rebounds and four assists. He was eight for 14 from the field and four for seven from three- point range.
When Kuzma did try to do too much, it led to his four turnovers. But when he slashed and cut to the basket, Kuzma got passes from center Marc Gasol for easy baskets. Kuzma played 40 minutes, the second- most behind Horton- Tucker ( 41).
Harrell doubles up
Another game and another double- double from Montrezl Harrell. Sunday night, Harrell had 19 points and 11 rebounds. This time it was in a reserve role, the same spot that earned him the NBA’s sixth man of the year award last season for the Clippers.
He started in the preseason opener Friday night and produced 13 points and 12 rebounds. That’s the type of productivity that became his calling card with the Clippers and that the Lakers will need with the second unit.
Thinking long range
The Lakers were not a very good three- point shooting team last season, and that was the case again in the f irst exhibition game when they shot 31.8% from distance.
But in the second exhibition game Sunday night, the Lakers shot lights out. They made an unreal 72% of their three- pointers. So, Kentavious Caldwell- Pope was asked, what gives here? “I didn’t even look at that,” Caldwell- Pope said on a postgame videoconference. So which team is it? “We can be at 72%,” Caldwell- Pope said after he made two of his three three- pointers. “We have them type of shooters here in L. A. We can be there every night if we wanted to. It’s all about just being confident when the guys have the ball in their hands and being able to shoot the ball. But I think we can at least stay 45- 50% from three — just from the players we have and the shooters we have.”
KCP’s return
After the Lakers won the NBA championship on Oct. 11 and returned to practice on Dec. 6, Caldwell- Pope said, “I think I got in the gym, maybe once, to shoot and that was the only time I was in the gym with a basketball.” He said he spent most of his downtime lifting weights to get his body right and ready for the season.
After sitting out the preseason opener, Caldwell-Pope looked sharp on Sunday. He was f ive for eight from the f ield and four for five from the free- throw line. He has been working on his stroke before and after every practice.
“I’m shooting before practice,” he said. “Well, actually I get a little workout in shooting and then we do practice and I shoot after practice a little bit. I just try to stay in a rhythm shooting, just get that muscle memory back, even though I haven’t been sitting out long… But keep that muscle memory and just keep shooting the ball.”
Cook’s new recipe
Quinn Cook took advantage of his playing time Sunday by scoring 14 points on f ive- for- 10 shooting, four for f ive from three- point range. Cook averaged 5.1 points in 11 minutes a game last season for the Lakers.