Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma is the key to the Lakers’ success

Kyle Kuzma is more important to the Los Angeles Lakers than some give him credit for.

The talk amongst Los Angeles Lakers fans is usually LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the game’s best duo. However, Kyle Kuzma is the key to the Lakers success.

Kyle Kuzma is without question the Lakers’ third most talented player. The issue has been inconsistency for the 24-year-old. Kuzma is averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, both career lows.

Over his first two seasons, Kyle Kuzma was impressive, averaging 16 points as a rookie and nearly 19 points in year two.

Unlike most Laker players, Kuzma is a player who can score in a hurry and is a player who can score in a variety of ways. Kuzma is a good slasher, capable shooter, and has the ability to finish with an array of floaters and running shots.

This season Kuzma has been affected by a decrease in playing time. He is averaging a career-low 24 minutes and only 11 shot attempts. Over his first two seasons, he’d get 11 shot attempts in halves at times. When he goes in the game he’s also not featured in the offense as much as he should be.

The second unit is usually led by Rajon Rondo at point guard who mostly holds the ball and is looking to make plays for everyone. There are plenty of times where Kuzma may have a favorable matchup and doesn’t see the ball. Sometimes it can be a result of playing with ball-dominant guys like Rondo and LeBron even.

I know it may sound like excuses but those are some of the facts. However, I can’t defend the fact that he is shooting a career-low 43.2 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from deep. At times, Kuzma looks disengaged and doesn’t look aggressive. He is simply too gifted to be playing the way he has most of the year. A player with his talent should be averaging no less than 15 points.

It may help to give Kyle Kuzma more minutes. In a pair of games earlier this season against Dallas and Oklahoma City when Anthony Davis missed, he was the star.

In one of the games he had a season-high 40 minutes and in the other game he got 34 minutes, the fourth most he’s gotten all year.  The results were performances of 26 and 36 points. It’s no mistake he had these two games, he can score in bunches when given the opportunity.

If the Lakers want to win it all, he must be a contributor. The Lakers don’t need him to be a hero, they have plenty of those. What they need Kuzma to do is bring energy and be ready to shoot when his number is called.

Defenses will crash on LeBron and Davis so there will be some open looks in the playoffs and he must take advantage.

Kuzma has also shown that he can impact the game on defense or even on the glass.

In a game against the Clippers on March 8, he had 10 rebounds. The game before that he had eight rebounds against Milwaukee.

In his first two seasons, Kuzma was a target of criticism on the defensive end. He has shown improvement in year three and has actually defended well plenty of nights.

If Kuzma can score at the level he’s capable of then the Los Angeles Lakers will be nearly impossible to beat. If he can play a “Robert Horry” role that would be certainly enough as well.