Los Angeles Lakers 2018-19 player grades: Kyle Kuzma

(Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
1 of 5
Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images,)

The Los Angeles Lakers expect Kyle Kuzma to be special. We take a look at his 2018-19 season and grade his performance in his second season.

After a 2017-18 rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers in which Kyle Kuzma surprised the NBA world, many expect greatness from Kuzma. Despite being the 27th pick in the draft, he averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds as a rookie.

His terrific production made people believe that the Lakers had one of the strongest draft classes in recent memory. In addition to Kuzma, the team selected Lonzo Ball second overall and Josh Hart 30th.

In his second season, Kuzma definitely showed some progress. The 23-year-old averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. Playing with LeBron James is no easy task, particularly for a young player, but Kuzma showed he can do it. With an offensive arsenal that is rare for power forwards, he was a threat each night for an injury prone Lakers team.

Kuzma missed the final six games of the season with a left foot injury. The rising star is expected to be ready to go for the start of training camp.

The Lakers are expected to make a boatload of moves this offseason. If Kuzma remains a Laker, he will be a key component. One can expect him to average around 20 points a game. Don’t be surprised if Kuzma makes a push at the All-Star game this upcoming season.

Let’s take a look at Kuzma’s performance from this past season and hand out an overall grade.