April 12, 2019

Ukrainian pro sports update: basketball

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Kuzma a future Lakers star

The Los Angeles Lakers, a multi-time NBA champion, have been pretty abysmal in recent years, owners of the second-worst winning percentage for the past four seasons. After their horrendous 26-56 campaign, Los Angeles captured the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft, which the team used to select Lonzo Ball, a point guard who drew comparisons to Jason Kidd. Ball was widely accepted as one of the top two point guard prospects in college basketball and was effectively given the keys to the franchise when General Manager Magic Johnson traded starting point guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets days before the 2017 draft.

Ball proceeded to underwhelm in the 2017-2018 season, shooting dismally from the field, from the three-point line and from the free throw line. He actually comprised one of the worst shooting seasons by a rookie in the modern NBA era, leading to coach Luke Walton’s decision to keep him on the bench more as the season wound down.

Ball’s pathetic play, especially on the offensive end, opened the door for another rookie, Ukrainian Kyle Kuzma, a first-year wing forward out of Utah. Although not beginning the season in the starting lineup, Kuzma earned his way into fourth in minutes per game for all Lakers and finished with a scoring average of 16.1 – tied for best on the squad with Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle. The surprise play of the 27th overall pick helped the Lakers to a record of 35-47, nine victories better than 2016-2017.

Kuzma’s aggressive moves often drew fouls on his opponents, getting him free throws; he grabbed more than his share of rebounds, turned the ball over minimally and produced a higher portion of offensive possessions. Plus, with Kuzma on the floor, the Lakers scored six more points than when he sat on the bench if factoring points per 100 possessions.

Moving forward, Kuzma will continue to have superior production for the Lakers. Part of this is purely physical: he stands 6-foot-9 with a 7-0 wingspan. He has the prototypical body of a modern-day stretch-4 and can play all three forward positions. He led the team in points and has proven to be a capable scorer inside and along the perimeter.

A second reason is today’s NBA: there has never been more of a premium placed on efficient shooting. Kuzma can shoot while driving to the left or right and can pull up for a jumper at any time. He shoots at a remarkable rate and can finish anywhere in the half court. He’s solid in transition, scoring 1.1 points per possession.

The Lakers are not heading to the post-season any time soon with their rebuild, but the team’s late-round selection of Kuzma provides cause for optimism. He was the NBA’s rookie of the month for the combined months of October-November when he showed he could score at different spots on the court.

Most impressive was Kuzma’s improved 3-point shooting from his college days. At the University of Utah he was not a polished 3-point shooter. Observers believe Kuzma’s improved shooting came from a deeper 3-point line, better fitting his body, stroke and mechanics. Playing and eventually starting at the small forward position gave him more freedom to creatively maneuver on the outside. When the rim looks big and the shot goes in, a player’s confidence grows into having a belief in himself and a desire to constantly improve.

For the Lakers, developing their young talent is a monumental goal going forward and beyond. Kuzma has all the tools and willingness to work hard and become one of the Lakers’ brightest young stars in recent history. The college basketball world saw Kuzma develop yearly at Utah, and there’s plenty of evidence already that he can do the same in Los Angeles.

After Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Los Angeles rookie Kyle Kuzma was widely acknowledged as the fourth best first-year player in the 2017-2018 NBA season. His 16.1 points/game was topped only by Mitchell’s 20.5 points.

(Kyle Kuzma’s paternal grandfather, Kenneth Gene Kuzma, was Ukrainian. His mother, Karri, is of Ukrainian, English and German descent). 

Olynyk heating it up in Miami

When the Boston Celtics decided to let Kelly Olynyk go after four seasons, the Ukrainian hoopster had to find a new home. The 13th selection in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, traded to Boston on draft night after a solid career at Gonzaga University, had specific requirements for his new team.

Being from British Columbia, he preferred to play close to home, but that would prove impossible since the league no longer had franchises in Seattle or Vancouver.

Coming off four strong seasons in Boston, Olynyk, 26, wanted to play for an organization that would push him to maximize his skills. He was sold on the Miami Heat’s plenty of positives, including their success in developing young players and their offer of a four-year, $50 million contract, which he signed in July 2017. The thought process included looking out for his own best interest, going where he could make the best impact and where his game would grow the most.

Playing with the Heat in 2017-2018, Olynyk appeared in 76 games, averaging 11.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke very positively about Olynyk’s contributions and his great fit.

“He brings versatility from that front court position and he’s different from the guys that typically play there,” Spoelstra said in a January 30, 2018 interview with The Spokesman Review. “He’s skilled, he plays a little bit more like a perimeter player and that adds to the diversity of our offense. He’s a very competitive guy, too, so in those four-quarter pressure moments, he tends to step up.”

Heady praise from Spoelstra, who led Miami to back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. Olynyk accepts this praise proudly.

“Yeah, that’s huge,” he said in the interview with Spokesman. “That’s great. Any way that I can help the team, whether it’s in those situations, early, in practice, whatever it is, I’m all for it. It’s kind of whatever this team needs, we all put forth. That’s what’s making us come together so well right now.”

Olynyk did very well in his choice of a new basketball home.

Len looking for new home

It is not very often an NBA player will freely admit during the season that he’s expecting to leave his team as a free agent – the exact situation for Ukrainian Alex Len. He found himself looking forward to the coming offseason, expecting excitement and an opportunity to finally control his own destiny.

Len spent five frustrating seasons with the Phoenix Suns, but never quite established himself as a main piece of a rebuilding team that drafted him fifth overall in 2013. He shot a career high 57 percent from the floor while averaging 8.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 2017-2018, but he did it while playing only 20.2 minutes per game. It was evident the Suns did not have long-term plans for the former Maryland standout, who hesitantly returned to Phoenix last summer on a modest $4.2 million deal after not receiving a better offer elsewhere.

Thus Len’s career arrived at a crossroads – he’s shown some potential in spurts, but mostly failed to live up to expectations. He’s out to prove he wasn’t a draft bust. His value this summer will remain a question. He’s only 24 years old, but he’s already had five pro campaigns to prove himself, and he’s yet to average double digits in points or eight rebounds per game.

In fairness to him, some of that may have to do with opportunity. He’s started only 140 out of 335 games and has never played more than 23.3 minutes per contest.

Len has the skills to be a game-changing shot blocker and an effective rim runner in a fast-paced offense. It also must be noted that his lack of a post-up game and finishing ability have limited his usefulness. The Suns’ offensive game plan barred him from shooting his mid-range jump shot. Three different head coaches in five years did not help his situation. Roster changes were plentiful and the team lacked consistency. For Len it was almost like starting over every year.

Stability and consistency were to be important factors in  Len’s selection process this summer. The process culminated on July 21, 2018, with Len accepting a two-year, $8.5 million guaranteed contract with the Atlanta Hawks, where he should have an opportunity to compete for a starting position. The Hawks could be getting a bargain for Len at a perfect time. The Ukrainian had the most efficient season of his career in 2017-2018, with a career high field-goal percentage (56.6), rebound rate (19.8), assist rate (9.1) and win shares (4.5) as per Basketball Reference.

“I am looking forward to this offseason,” Len told Scott Bordow of AZCentral. “I think it’s going to be exciting. It’s the first time I’m actually going to have a chance to go where I want to go.”

It turned out to be the Atlanta Hawks, 24-58 last season, last in the Eastern Conference with a new coach and a rebuilding plan for the near future. Len factors into these rebuilding plans as competition with Dewayne Dedmon and Miles Plumlee for minutes at the center position.

Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].

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