Kyle Kuzma: OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series

Feb 23, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; Utah Utes forward Kyle Kuzma (35) moves in for basket in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. The Utes defeated the Buffaloes 86-81. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Utah junior Kyle Kuzma is next up in TI’s NBA Draft Prospect Preview.

Continuing on with TI’s 2017 NBA Draft prospect series the next athlete is big man Kyle Kuzma. With the OKC Thunder selecting 21st it’s extremely unlikely they’ll be seeking a big. Although there could be exceptions to this thinking Kuzma doesn’t checkoff enough boxes to warrant his selection. Furthermore, examining the wide diversity of where pundits rank Kuzma points to uncertainty in precisely what his potential will be.

Specifics:

Height: 6’9″

Weight: 221lbs

Wingspan: 7’0.25 ”

Position: Power Forward

Age: 21 years, 9 months

Statline: 16.3 points, 9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.5 blocks

College: Utah (Junior)

Home Town: Flint Michigan

Current rankings:

Please note, rankings come from versions as of time of writing. However, not all mock drafts provide second round ranks or updates. Due to this if rankings change after posting it’s likely due to updates and a shift in the rankings.

DraftExpress: 31st

NBA DraftNet: 20th

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 33rd

CBS Sports: 61st

Basketball Insiders: 42nd

Skills:

Examining the boxes Kuzma checks off does seemingly point to him developing into the prototypical power forward of the new era NBA. Most especially, his 32 percent efficiency from the perimeter isn’t yet up to standard to deem him a stretch four. Where he does excel is in the playmaking role for a big. He has adeptly demonstrated wise decision making skills and the ability to create whether stationary or on the move.

This assessment rings true as per Julian Applebome of Draft Express:

"Kuzma is a unique player in the fact that he can both handle and pass the ball well from the power forward position. He has not quite developed into the role of a playmaking PF, but he is comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter or in transition. Kuzma is capable of changing speeds and directions and uses his versatility to score and facilitate both in transition and in the half court. He is not yet advanced in terms of creating his own shot, but he has a fairly quick first step, which he uses to get to the rim out of face up situations, or versus slower big men on the perimeter. He is more of a smooth than explosive athlete and struggles to finish consistently vs length at the rim, but shows nice touch and range on floaters, which he uses to finish from in-between areas."

Weaknesses:

As much as Kuzma does project to become a valid stretch four his efficiency at two of the key areas are sub par. Specifically he shoots just 32 percent from the perimeter which could potentially improve with repetition and on court experience. But, with the NBA 3-point line even further out it stands to reason it will take a while to translate.

Moreover, 66.9 percent from the charity stripe is another red flag.

Defensively, there are a host of areas needing improvement. In particular, Kuzma’s one on one capabilities are below par. Part of this can be credited to his lack of size and strength. Work in the gym to address those areas will expedite his ability to contribute in this area.

Honors and awards:

Pac 12, All-Conference 1st Team, 2017

Pro Comparison:

More from Thunderous Intentions

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list pegs Collins ceiling as Lamar Odom, Jeff Green, the Morris twins.

As noted the pundits ranking for Kyle Kuzma offer gamut of selections. Like them O’Connor’s comparisons are also diverse. If Kuzma for example develops into a Lamar Odom type his upside is definitely worth the risk especially for a team who can afford to take the time to develop him. Conversely, if Kuzma turns into Jeff Green the team who takes him will be looking at a prospect with all kinds of potential who never effectively puts together a consistent season.

The fit:

Utah University has produced some quality prospects with two landing on the Raptors (Delon Wright and Jakob Poeltl) in the past two drafts. It will be interesting to see if Masai Ujiri with the 23rd pick hones in on adding yet another Utes product this year. Prior to that pick though the OKC Thunder will be on the clock evaluating whether Kuzma checks off enough of the categories OKC need to improve. At this stage Kyle Kuzma doesn’t move the needle enough to warrant his selection That said, part of the reason pundits are all over the map in ranking him is he does project to the stretch four potential. In spite of that, don’t expect OKC to target Kyle Kuzma.

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