Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma taking ‘everyday challenge’ of improving seriously

Ever since the season resumed, one can tell that Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has made major strides in his game.

Most people would probably like to forget about the poor start the Los Angeles Lakers had in their first-round series against Portland. Frankly, most folks would probably like to do the same when it comes to thinking about how L.A. has played the entire time they have been in Florida.

Suffice to say, it has not been pretty. Overall, the Lakers are 3-6 since basketball resumed and the team has not yet recaptured the magic they wielded months ago. Perhaps making a call to Tinker Bell would help shift things in a better direction, but who knows.

Albeit a pinch of pixie dust could come in handy, one Laker has been up to the challenge of playing under the new, unique circumstances. That player in question is third-year forward Kyle Kuzma.

One could argue Kuzma has been the equivalent of the team’s Cinderella story since hoops resumed. It has truly been a treat to witness his impressive growth as a player.

Several months ago, many Lakers fans wondered if Kuzma would ever metamorphose into a legitimate threat. Sure, Kuzma was a player who was more than capable of scoring the rock but had a knack for being streaky.

Moreover, what is worth noting is that Kuz’s primary strength could be turned around just as easily and be used against him. Let alone the abovementioned streakiness, many people generally came to the same conclusion. Kyle Kuzma is a one-trick pony and may never be anything more than that, sadly enough.

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Due to that rationale, some people wondered if L.A. made the right choice in trading Brandon Ingram instead of Kuzma. Not to take anything away from Ingram’s All-Star campaign, but, to be candid, Kuzma might have performed at an All-Star level as well this season if he was moved rather than Ingram.

Some folks tend to forget that rookie sensation Zion Williamson was hurt for a good portion of the year. As a result, B.I. naturally became the Pelicans’ go-to player.

On the other hand, when Kuzma is examined, he was adjusting to an entirely different role than his old teammate. When two of the best five players on Earth are ahead of you in the rotation, it is reasonable to expect that your minutes will be reduced.

When Kuzma’s per 36 minutes averages are perused, his numbers are pretty similar to what they were like in his first two seasons. Many people just expected precisely the same results (namely on the scoring end) granted Kuz was given a bit of a smaller role. In 2019-20, he was on the floor 25 minutes a night, whereas he averaged over 30 minutes per contest as a rookie and sophomore.

At the same time, yes, Kuzma still should have played better than he did despite the new role he took on. If he was not scoring for some reason, the third-year player could have found other ways to contribute and, let’s be honest, the 25-year-old was never the most consistent threat prior to hoops shutting down in mid-March.

However, Kuz has turned a corner ever since the Los Angeles Lakers entered the bubble. It has been pleasant to see and suggests that perhaps they saw something others did not see in the past.

Ultimately, it demonstrates that the Lakers’ brass was aware of the kind of player Kyle Kuzma could become if patience manifested itself. The Lakers’ patience has seemed to pay off provided that Kuz has become a more well-rounded talent right before our very eyes.

Kuzma has shot the ball at a more efficient clip in the bubble and looks confident. Confidence being the key.

Perhaps in part due to a trimmed role this season, Kuzma was like night and day from an offensive standpoint. One never quite knew what he was going to bring to the table, but that has changed in Florida.

The small forward is not merely jacking up shots from long range like we got accustomed to seeing throughout most of the year. He is attacking the rim more often and creating better looks for himself and his teammates.

Despite the Game 1 loss to Portland, Kuz helped the Los Angeles Lakers get some separation from the Trail Blazers in the final stanza. He was instrumental in giving the team a six-point advantage until he was strangely subbed out of the game.

While the substitution was not too understandable, his fourth-quarter level of play suggests that Kuz is not afraid of the brighter lights. It is hard to not reiterate that this man is playing with such great confidence.

One can tell he has matured and is becoming a smarter player. He is not just trying to get his as the saying goes and force the issue possession after possession. Right now, he is exactly the type of player the Lakers need him to be.

The work Kuzma is putting in behind the scenes is certainly paying dividends. He is developing into the player many hoped for several years back, but Kuzma knows he needs to continue to put in the work.

Kyle Kuzma acknowledges the grind.

According to Ron Gutterman of Lakers Nation, the Flint, Michigan, native recently revealed that the process to get better is an “everyday challenge” for him.

"“It’s an everyday challenge,” he said of becoming an all-around player. “It’s all about getting better every day. Us athletes may say that and it kind of goes over peoples’ heads, but to me that’s what it is.“I’m far away from being the defender I want to be and I’m far away from being the offensive player I want to be. It’s all about just every day trying to get better and compete. Not only compete against my teammates in practice and opponents, but competing against myself mentally every day.”"

Even though Kuzma said he is “far away” from being the player he wants to be, he has definitely been turning heads of late. It is much-needed because as good as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are, the Los Angeles Lakers will need more than their awesome duo if they want to make noise in the postseason.

It is worth noting that Portland possesses a tremendously gifted backcourt who can light up the scoreboard at any moment. Thus, the purple and gold could indeed use an extra set of helping hands beyond their two stars.

Players like Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have not consistently proven that they can be serious threats on offense. Conversely, the former Utah Ute has shown more signs that he can get buckets for Los Angeles when they need them.

Additionally, it is hard to not bring up the extra effort Kuz has shown defensively. He looks so much more active than he ever did prior to the bubble games and it has been a joy to watch.

In the past, many individuals have heavily critiqued this facet of his game. Wondering if he’ll ever amount to much of anything because he got beat off the dribble a lot and sometimes missed assignments altogether.

It again harkens back to the offseason trade with New Orleans because B.I. was generally coined as the better defender given his long wingspan. However, Kuz has slowly began to shush the haters. He appears poised to become as good of a player as possible and is really bringing it on both ends of the hardwood.

The Lakers’ offense has been especially abysmal ever since basketball resumed. On account of that reason, Kuzma’s level of play will be crucial moving forward for they could use a microwave-type scorer outside of their big two.

Assuming Kuzma can carry out the responsibility of being the Lakers’ third-leading scorer and continue to be impactful defensively, this team will become a much harder out.

There is no reason to believe the third-year Laker cannot continue to play the way he has. He looks determined right now and is showing the NBA world that L.A. did not make a goof when they drafted him a few summers back.

He has truly accepted the challenge of becoming a more complete player and the results have been tangible.

The Los Angeles Lakers will need the best rendition of No. 0 in the time to come. The Trail Blazers are a formidable squad as evidenced in Game 1, but so are the Lakers when Kuz is on.