Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma ‘really excited’ to play alongside new additions to team
Third-year player Kyle Kuzma is a big fan of the way the Los Angeles Lakers currently appear.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers saw Kawhi Leonard become a Clipper this summer, the offseason has not been a bust for the team. In fact, the Lakers rebounded rather nicely once Leonard opted to sign with the other L.A. team.
Granted, the front office has been under a lot of scrutiny, but general manager Rob Pelinka deserves a fair amount of credit for the roster the Lakers currently boast. It is true that the purple and gold may not have a prototypical “Big 3.” In spite of that, they have a deep group that should be able to put fear into the opposition on any given night.
The Lakers are rather fortunate to be in the position they are in. Before the free agency period kicked off, the squad had just four players under contract. Therefore, when Leonard signed elsewhere, having an “oh no” moment as a fan seemed to be all too natural.
However, the “oh no’s” became a thing of the past not too long after the Leonard news came to be. In the hours and days following the Kawhi spiel, the Lakers built a team that has a lot of balance.
For instance, they re-signed players such as JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo. The Lakers also managed to sign 3-point shooting snipers such as Danny Green and Quinn Cook. In doing so, they wisely weakened the two teams that made it to the NBA Finals a couple of months back.
Moreover, the Lakers are looking like a much stronger team defensively. Players like Green should help them out in that respect, not to mention newbies like Avery Bradley and big man DeMarcus Cousins.
Ergo, it is easy to detect that the Lakers have made major strides in terms of getting back to their old championship-caliber ways. While the Lakers must prove themselves, they definitely look better than any team they have assembled in quite some time.
Michigan native Kyle Kuzma is particularly happy about how the Lakers are structured. Kuzma did not hold back his opinion of the team in a recent interview with MLive, which happened to take place where he grew up. Christian Rivas of SB Nation was dutiful in transcribing this snippet from the interview.
"“We’ve got a lot of great, great players that are coming in. Players that are proven in this league. Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins was an All-Star at one point and getting healthy. Jared Dudley is a great locker room guy… We’ve got a nice roster and I’m really excited to play with those guys.”"
Indeed, the Lakers have put together a “nice” roster. One could go as far as to say that the term “nice” is too subtle in describing their current outlook.
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If the team can stay fairly healthy, it is hard to imagine them not making it far in the postseason. Nothing is a given in this league, but the requisite pieces are certainly in place.
The 2019-2020 team is a lot stronger than last year’s Lakers team. As a result, Kuzma will be getting the chance to play with a group that is more than capable of stringing together a winning record. It is more than certain Kuz appreciates the opportunity that lies ahead, for the Lakers have not had a winning record in either of his first two years in the NBA.
Additionally, there is another reason as to why Kuzma is likely relishing what is forthcoming. As Rivas accurately indicated, the Lakers’ various additions give the third-year player the chance to exercise his inquisitive mind.
Kuzma has never held back as far as asking questions and playing with so many new faces allows him to do so. Consequently, it should enable Kuzma to further strengthen his game.
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Kyle Kuzma is a major piece for the Lakers and he will be relied upon heavily this coming season. The front office has done its part to create a competitive roster and with him aboard as well, this Lakers team has ample reason to be feeling “really excited.”