Los Angeles Lakers: Lessons and AD Achilles discussion from Denver loss

The Los Angeles Lakers will need Kyle Kuzma to play at the level he is playing at now!

A picture says a thousand words doesn’t it? At least that’s what they say. This picture tells a story about these two players.

There was a running joke around social media in the playoffs last year that there was a battle between Kyle Kuzma and Michael Porter Jr. on who played the coolest on the floor. While Michael Porter Jr. hasn’t raised his game to the next level, Kyle Kuzma grew up.

While the Nuggets are trying to get consistency from Porter Jr. in their starting lineup, the Lakers are getting consistent contributions from Kuz whether it’s from the bench or the starting lineup.

Film don’t lie does it Lakers fans?

• While KCP misses the shot from the corner, Kyle Kuzma starts in the right corner.
• Watch how Michael Porter Jr. fails to find a body while watching the ball. He even leans over some trying to see where the ball caroms off the rim.
• Kuz gets a running start, jumps over MPJ and dunks on his head. The force put the Nuggets young star on the floor wondering what happened.  

This guy Kyle Kuzma has changed. No longer is he chasing the ball looking for points and shots. He has become a star in his role taking what the defense gives him. According to LakersDaily, LeBron challenged him about his goals.

"“It all depends what you want in this sport, to be honest,” LeBron James said. “… Do you want to score a bunch of points but sometimes it doesn’t really matter or doesn’t make a difference in winning or losing? Or do you want to be a part of something special where you continue to get better, you continue to make an impact and you have a role on the team where you’re playing for something more than the sum of your individuality?”"

We know now.

Coming into this game Kuzma was a beast on the boards. He had 29 rebounds in the last three games including 11 on the offensive end. There is no game plan right now to stop Kuz because he is using reads to make cuts for his scoring opportunities. Barring something crazy, Lakers fans might be watching Kyle Kuzma as the starting power forward for the Lakers.

In 26 minutes, Kuzma put in work scoring 19 points (8-12 shooting!) and 8 rebounds. His energy stood out in a game where the wind got taken out of the Lakers sails when AD never returned.

The story going forward will be the legacy of Kyle Kuzma in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. Half of Lakers Nation has this guy in trade deals (Might be starting again in a few days!) while the other half see the potential of how much he can help this team.

The answer is coming folks. The Lakers need Kuzma’s production to continue with the absence of Anthony Davis.

The Los Angeles Lakers needs more production from a few other players on the roster. The players on the next page have flat out not shown up for the last couple of games. Maybe it’s good that Kuzma is coming to the starting lineup. If AD didn’t get hurt, he definitely could have replaced these players!