Los Angeles Lakers greatest scorers: 27. Kyle Kuzma
Seeing that Kyle Kuzma has only been in the nBA and with the Lakers for four seasons, this inclusion might seem a bit far-fetched. However, when you also consider that he’s already inside the top 35 for career points scored in Lakers history after such a short time, even with him taking on a smaller role over his third and fourth seasons, it makes a bit more sense.
Despite being a late first-round pick in 2017, Kuzma joined the Lakers and immediately proved his worth as a scoring threat. Over his first two years in Los Angeles, the forward averaged 16.1 and 18.7 points, respectively, while shooting over 45 percent from the field over that span. He also shot over 36 percent from 3-point range as a rookie and in the 2020-21 season as well.
The one thing, as of the 2020-21 campaign, that could hold Kuzma back from climbing any higher on this list is the personnel around him. With the arrival of LeBron James and then Anthony Davis, Kuzma simply hasn’t been asked to play as prominent of a role in the offense, which is why he averaged under 13.0 points per game over his third and fourth seasons in the league.
With that being said, Kuzma’s ability to put the ball in the hole remains obvious. He has a strong, versatile scoring presence that allows him to fill it up inside and out. And that’s why the youngster cracks the top 30 already in his career.