Kyle Kuzma knows that to be a significant part of the Los Angeles Lakers, he needs to fulfill his role. Last season, Kuzma was part of the championship run and averaged 10 points per game and 23 minutes per game in the run. Kuzma was an important contributor last season in the playoffs. Overall, Kuzma averaged 12.8 points and 25 minutes per game last season.
This year, Kuzma needed to find his role within the Lakers. The team added Montrezl Harell, Marc Gasol and Dennis Schroder so Kuzma had to find his place. The thing about Kuzma is that he has been with the Lakers since his rookie season in 2017. Its almost as if the Lakers have seen Kuzma mature into the player he is today. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis as team leaders, Kuzma does not really have a choice but to compete at a high level.
Courtesy of sandiegouniontribune.com
The Lakers seem to have a stacked team this year and are the favorites to win the championship again. This means that Kuzma needs to continue performing at a high level. The distinction that needs to be made is that the Lakers do not really need someone who scores 40 points per game. The Lakers really need players who impact the game in ways beyond the points statistic.
So far this season, Kuzma has been doing exactly that. Kuzma currently has a career high 3 point percentage of 39.3% and is averaging a career high 1.6 offensive rebounds per game. He has also continued to improve on the defensive end of the floor throughout his career. This season the defensive improvements are noticeable. With Schroder, Davis, and Gasol on the team, the Lakers are a defensive threat. Their energetic and gritty defense only powers their offense more.
Kuzma is averaging 24 minutes per game this season which is close to his last season minutes. Continuing to be active while he’s in the game is going to put Kuzma in a position to have a significant role on the team. Kuzma will continue to mature with this Lakers team because of the great leadership on the team. Now it’s time for #KuzControl…
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