Utah’s Kyle Kuzma to test NBA Draft waters

On Wednesday, it was announced that Utah junior forward Kyle Kuzma was going to enter his name for NBA Draft consideration, but he won’t hire an agent, making him eligible to return if he doesn’t like the grades he gets back. This is a wise move for any player that may have pro aspirations, and are upper classmen, so they can see what their draft potential is, and see what they may need to work on in the future. This move is by no means a surprise, as many players will do the same, but it would be surprising if Kuzma stayed in the draft pool, since I believe he has a long ways to go to be draftable.

Kuzma is a quick, athletic, long player with a great nose for the basketball, and a nice touch around the rim. While he did almost average a double-double with 16 points and 9 rebounds, his perimeter shooting is a liability right now, especially for the pro game. He needs to improve that, as well as free throw shooting. He’s got to shoot better than 67% from the free throw line, he’s got too nice of a release. He’s also a solid passer, but he’s not strong dribbling the ball, and has a tendency to get it poked away.

I expect Kuzma to be back next year, but I don’t blame the kid for testing the waters to see what the possibilities are. If he addresses his shooting inconsistencies, and sharpens his offensive game a bit, I think he’ll have a chance to be drafted after a strong senior season.