Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma is too inconsistent to warrant keeping him

When the career of Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma is mulled over, opinions from outsiders could not be more scattered. Some folks still remember him as the man who was on the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team. On the other hand, there are others who are not as fond of Kuzma.

Simply put, Kuzma is not the same player he was as a rookie. During those days, he had eye-popping scoring bursts that impressed fans given the variety of tricks in his arsenal. The 2020-21 version of Kuzma was much different by comparison.

For what it is worth, the Michigan native is a much better defender presently than he was when he entered the league. For example, Kuzma improved as a rebounder this past season, averaging 6.1 per game as opposed to just 4.5 the year prior.

In addition, it became palpable over the course of time that he learned a thing or two from superstar teammate LeBron James. The 25-year-old evolved into a decent chase down blocker, a facet that James is well-known for.

Be that as it may, a lot of people are not too pleased with Kuzma at the moment. Perhaps a lot of the reason is on the grounds that he failed to show up in the playoffs.

In the series versus Phoenix, the 6-foot-9 player averaged a paltry 6.3 points per game for Los Angeles. He only shot the rock at a 29.2 percent clip from the field and was even worse from downtown at 17.4 percent.

Given that Anthony Davis (and LeBron for that matter) was injured, the Lakers needed someone else to step up to the plate. That series was as good of a time as ever for Kuzma to prove to fans why the Lakers signed him to a three-year extension last offseason. However, he did not build too great of a case.

Frankly, the concern with Kuzma goes beyond the bad series he had against the Suns. He has not been a reliable individual for quite some time now. He has had one too many stretches where he scores 20 points one night and then has one-fourth of that total the next game.

In other words, the following is safe to say when Kuzma is thought about. The man is as inconsistent as they come, and there is no getting around that fact.

One cannot help but wonder whether the Los Angeles Lakers should bother to keep him around in 2021-22.

Let’s consider this, too, even though it may not be as visible in the box score. There were still those instances this season where it was hard to not notice a common tendency of his. Kuzma sometimes just camped himself in the corner while on offense and did not look engaged. Even if a play is not drawn up for him specifically, there are other ways to contribute, whether that is by setting screens or making cuts to the basket if the defense falls asleep.

While Kuzma can be tough to be patient with, it is worth noting the following. He has had quite a number of roles throughout his first four years with the Lakers. Considering he has played the last two seasons with LeBron and AD, that has affected his minutes.

Therefore, one could argue it is not all of his fault. His role has indeed changed a bit since his sophomore campaign. Nonetheless, Kyle Kuzma has just not done enough to warrant a return to the Lakers this autumn.

Albeit “Kuz” improved from long range this past season by converting 36.1 percent of his attempts, there is really no element of his game that stands out. He is a decent scorer at best, but, once again, is as inconsistent as they come.

Speaking of inconsistencies, the former Utah Ute was not particularly great from the charity stripe this season. Kuzma shot a career-worst 69.1 percent from said distance following a year where he splashed 73.5 percent of his free throws.

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Furthermore, he has never developed a lethal handle and has never been the greatest creator for others, either. Granted, his defense got better in 2020-21, there is definitely room for improvement in this department as well.

The crux of the matter is this when all is said and done. Kuzma is the type of guy that always demonstrated flashes of great potential. At his absolute best, he could be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate or be a solid starter. The keyword here is “could.”

In all honesty, Lakers’ fans are tired of the “could be’s” with Kuzma. He basically is what he is at this stage of his career and may never reach that next level. At least not with the Lakers anyway.

It is fair to imagine he would perform much better on almost any other team. His minutes would increase, and it is therefore safe to say his numbers similarly would.

Despite that possibility, the Lakers would be doing themselves a huge favor if they are able to move Kuzma this offseason. He gets hot/cold way too easily, and the purple and gold need a more reliable option at the wing.

His loyalty to the team over the last four years has not gone unnoticed. He was with the team in some of their darkest days and gave us some great performances in the process. Kuzma was part of last year’s championship run, too, so his name will never be forgotten in Lakers’ lore.

Nevertheless, the Lakers cannot be patient any longer with Kuzma. He had his fair share of moments with the team but has been every bit as renowned for his vanishing act. The Lakers’ lone goal is to win titles, so bolstering the team is necessary.

That being said, attempting to trade Kuzma this offseason would certainly be in the Lakers’ best interest. The franchise needs someone who is going to show up night in and night out and not just on a here and there basis.