4. Kyle Kuzma
When the Los Angeles Lakers announced they had selected Kyle Kuzma with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, plenty of people questioned their direction. Kuzma was a solid player at Utah, but analysts questioned how he would transition to the next level. Those critics were quickly quieted.
Kuzma went on to have one of the better seasons of anyone in the rookie class. He tied for the team lead with 16.1 points per game, proving he can fill the stretch-4 role. Kuzma won’t be catching anyone by surprise this season, but he has a real chance to take off given the talented added around him.
Kuzma will be the go-to scoring option with the second unit off the bench. He will see a huge upgrade in playmaking, as he goes from playing with Tyler Ennis, Alex Caruso or a hampered Isaiah Thomas to Rajon Rondo, one of the best passers in the NBA.
Kuzma thrived last season without the ball in his hands. He knocked down 37.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and 37.9 percent of his 3-pointers when taking zero dribbles. With so many playmakers around him, Kuzma should find plenty of open space to shoot with.
Kuzma is one of the players that will benefit the most from the roster changes. As long as he remains aggressive offensively, he could truly breakout this upcoming season.