Heading into his second campaign, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has established himself as one of the promising young core pieces of the franchise.
Kuzma has taken steps toward honing his craft this offseason that have included going through individual workouts with future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant. During a recent interview with The Rich Eisen Show, the former Lakers great had some high praise for the 2_-year-old’s ability on the court that believes should translate into a strong 2018-19 season.
“He looks great man. He’s got good rhythm. He has the ability to disassociate movements, which gives him a fluidity when he plays. But he can shoot the ball, and he has worked on his mid-range game a lot. Post-up game looks strong. I am looking forward to him having a good year.”
Kuzma had shown some great potential offensively in his rookie year that saw him emerge as one of the top talents in his draft class. He was able to be a highly dependable scoring option for the Lakers that saw him become one of the team’s leading scorers.
He finished the season averaging 16.1 points on 45.0 percent shooting from the field and 36.6 percent from 3-point range along with 6.3 rebounds per contest. Kuzma was the first rookie in NBA history with at least 1,200 points, 450 rebounds, and 150 made 3-pointers, which all helped him secure All-Rookie First-Team honors. He had demonstrated the ability to create his own shot while from various spots on the floor while remaining an effective scorer.
Beyond just improving on his craft in the offseason, the opportunity to play with LeBron James and learn from him could be highly critical in the next step of his development. It is a chance to also potentially emerge as one of the primary scoring options on a team that could be more than just a playoff contender next season. Ultimately, the table is set for Kuzma to take a significant forward as one of the top young talents in the league.
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