LOCALS IN THE NBA
Kyle Kuzma Selected To Rising Stars Challenge

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former Ute Kyle Kuzma has been selected to the Rising Stars Challenge, part of the NBA All-Star Weekend. He is playing great basketball with LeBron James still out with a groin injury.
Damian Lillard played just one game during Week 15 and had a great outing.
Former Lone Peak star Frank Jackson made his first career start for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here’s how the locals did during Week 15 of the NBA season from Wednesday, January 23 to Tuesday, January 29:
Former Utes
Kyle Kuzma – Los Angeles Lakers (26-25)
The Lakers went 1-2 during the week and another week without LeBron James. Kyle Kuzma played just one game during the week. He had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in their loss to the Timberwolves.
The former Ute missed the rest of the week with a hip strain.
This season, Kuzma is averaging 19.1 points and 6 rebounds per game.
He was selected to participate in the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge, which is a part of NBA All-Star Weekend.
NEXT UP: The Lakers have three games during Week 16 with all three on the road. They will face the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers.
Back-to-back Rising Stars selections for the sophomore studs!
Congrats to @ZO2_ and @kylekuzma! 💫💫https://t.co/YkLK7eOsgW
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 30, 2019
Jakob Poeltl – San Antonio Spurs (30-22)
It was a decent week for the Spurs with a 3-1 record. Jakob Poeltl’s minutes has significantly dipped over the last two weeks.
The former Ute had two points and four rebounds in 13 minutes as the Spurs lost to the Sixers.
Poeltl finished with three points, one rebound and one assist just six minutes of play in their win over New Orleans.
In the Spurs’ win over the Wizards, Poeltl had four points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 15 minutes of action.
The former Ute finished the week with four points, one rebound and one assist in eight minutes as the Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns.
Poeltl is averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds this season.
NEXT UP: The Spurs will play three games during Week 16, beginning at home against Brooklyn and New Orleans before traveling to Sacramento.
SPURS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/x7SPZUsGTP
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 28, 2019
Delon Wright – Toronto Raptors (37-15)
Toronto won one of their three games during Week 15. Delon Wright started the week with four points, three rebounds and three assists in the Raptors’ loss to the Pacers.
Wright did not play in the Raptors’ loss to the Houston Rockets.
In their win over the Mavericks, Wright played 13 minutes while recording 9 points 1, rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block.
The former Ute is averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season.
NEXT UP: Toronto has three games during Week 16, starting at home against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers. They will finish the week on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Volume up.
Enjoy.
– 55Savage pic.twitter.com/FCc47FOEau
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 28, 2019
Former Wildcats
Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers (31-20)
The Trail Blazers had just two games during Week 15, winning both contests. Damian Lillard had 24 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the Blazers’ win over Phoenix.
Lillard did not play in their win over the Atlanta Hawks, missing his first game of the season due to general soreness.
The former Wildcat is averaging 26.3 points, 6.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.
NEXT UP: Portland will play just two games again during Week 16, both games are at home against the Utah Jazz and the Miami Heat.
Dame is now the 2nd player in @NBA history to make a 3-pointer in each of his team’s first 50 games of a season.#RipCity pic.twitter.com/dNvBRd79rY
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 25, 2019
Former High School Standouts
Frank Jackson – New Orleans Pelicans (23-28)
The Pelicans went 1-3 during the week. The former Lone Peak star, Frank Jackson had eight points, three rebounds and two assists in the Pelicans’ loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Jackson recorded 12 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in 26 minutes of play in their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The former Duke Blue Devil pouted in 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in the Pelicans’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
He finished the week with his first career start in their lone of the week against the Houston Rockets. Jackson recorded 10 points, a career-high 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal, while playing a career-high 27 minutes.
Jackson is averaging 5.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game this season.
NEXT UP: The Pelicans will play three games during Week 16, beginning at home against Denver before traveling to San Antonio. They will finish the week at home against the Indiana Pacers.
Frank Jackson has his first career start tonight! #PelicansGameday | #doitBIG pic.twitter.com/r5tut6K1Kw
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 30, 2019