Kyle Kuzma is going to face LaMelo Ball for the first time, as the rookie is expected to have his first matchup of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kuzma deemed he’s not surprised by Ball’s excellent rookie year prior to Thursday’s matchup. He claimed Ball has sped up the process of understanding the game playing in the NBL last season.
(via Lakers Nation):
“Being in Australia for him helped his game out a lot. It really sped up the process of understanding the game, you just see how well he’s playing the game this year.
“Going back to him being a fifth-sixth grader playing up against teens and going to Lithuania and then playing in the NBL in Australia with grown men,” he said.
“When you are playing basketball with a higher level of people your game is going to be much more mature. It’s not really shocking to me.”
Ball took the league by storm after the Charlotte Hornets selected him as the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He is averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.9 rebounds through 39 games this season.
