Kyle Kuzma is the most improved player on the Los Angeles Lakers
Other improvements Kyle Kuzma has made for the Los Angeles Lakers:
The improvements Kyle Kuzma has made defensively:
Kyle Kuzma became a meme last season when he tried to guard Luka Doncic. It was hard to watch Kuzma get cooked in isolation and be 1-2 steps behind going over screens. Now, Kuzma has made tremendous strides as an on-ball defender. He is able to take on switches and force opposing guards into contested midrange shots.
With Kuzma’s tall and lanky build, the key to his improvement is his footwork. His feet have to be constantly moving because it is much harder for Kuzma to stay chest-to-chest on an opposing ball-handler, as opposed to a stout defender such as Talen Horton-Tucker. His height and length were a liability – now he has made it an asset.
Why Kyle Kuzma is the real board man, not Kawhi Leonard:
Kyle Kuzma’s offensive rebounding is crucial to the team’s success. Kuzma is tied with Anthony Davis for second in offensive rebounding at two per game. Montrezl Harrell is a literal monster on the boards; Kuzma uses his slender frame to slip past opposing defenders for boards.
Analytics often neglect offensive rebounding as a contributing factor in a team’s offense. That ought to change. Offensive rebounding creates more possessions, which creates more shots, which creates more points.
Going back to the Kuzma-Harrell frontcourt, opposing defenders will have a tough time boxing out both players at the same time. Harrell outworks his man for the ball; Kuzma outsmarts him by crashing the glass even before the shot goes up.
Oh, and by the way, Kyle Kuzma gets more boards than Kawhi Leonard, the Board Man himself, on a per-game basis. Kuzma is the real board man.
- Kuzma: 6.4 rebounds (2.0 offensive)
- Leonard: 6.2 rebounds (0.9 offensive)
Kyle Kuzma got paid too. Board men get paid.
In a recent article on Sports Illustrated, LeBron James explained what Kyle Kuzma means to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"“Kyle has finally figured it out. He’s figured out what he means to this team. He’s figured out what his role is, and he’s starring in his role. He’s offensive rebounding right now, his attention to detail and running the floor and he’s knocking down shots at a high level.” “We’re going to be even more dynamic with Kuzma being in the position that he’s in right now. He’s just playing some really good basketball. I think the extension, him signing that deal before the season [gave] him a sense of calmness as well. So, he’s just playing basketball, and that’s it.”"
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Ultimately for the Lakers to repeat as champions, Kyle Kuzma must continue to star as a role player. Although the Lakers have struggled without Anthony Davis, Kuzma is playing winning basketball right now.