As he prepares for his third season with the Los Angeles Lakers, here’s how Kyle Kuzma can become an elite player.
The Los Angeles Lakers are the oldest current roster in the league. Something most didn’t envision after having a terrific young core. That young core is gone, with the exception of Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma is 23-years-old and many in the NBA circles believe he can be a star.
His ceiling might not be on the level of ex-running mates in Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, but that’s okay. Kuzma is arguably the better fit alongside two stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Kuzma doesn’t need the ball in his hands the way Ingram and Ball did. Ball thrived at making plays for others and pushing pace, while Ingram loved to go iso. Kuzma doesn’t waste much time in getting his offense. Kuzma can score at all three levels, and usually has his mind it up in how he’s scoring. Not many wasted dribbles for the rising forward.
He’s also the more confident shooter out of the three players, despite him only shooting 30% from three after 37% as a rookie. Last season, Kuzma averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. He showed his potential as a terrific scorer with seven 30 point performances. He had a 41-point performance against Detroit despite not playing a second in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers are hoping that Kyle Kuzma becomes their third star in Los Angeles this coming season. In order for him to do that, three things must happen. Let’s break them down.