– Kuzma comes up big
Arguably the biggest takeaway from the win was the play of Kyle Kuzma for the Lakers. Kuzma has been working his way back since missing training camp and the preseason. Understandably, the results on the court haven’t been up to his standards for the most part.
However, against the Suns, Kuzma showcased what he could do for this Lakers team. In the win, Kuzma totaled 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
Two of Kuzma’s 3-pointers were absolutely huge for the Lakers. With the game close in the fourth quarter, Kuzma hit two of the biggest shots for the Lakers to seal the game. This should help Kuzma’s confidence from deep immensely moving forward.
If Kuzma is going to be an average to above-average 3-point shooter, the Lakers offense is really going to roll. James is having a great season so far as the primary facilitator, and a weapon like Kuzma on the outside will only make things easier.
Even though Kuzma is still working his way back from the foot injury, this was a really encouraging game for him. Now, let’s see how he builds off it. Next up for the Lakers will be a quick trip back home to face the Golden State Warriors.