The Los Angeles Lakers are touted to be a playoff contender in the next two to three years. They are filled with young and upcoming superstars in Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram.
Yet among the three, Kuzma seems to have taken the lead. As reported by ClutchPoints' Ryan Ward, Kuzma said he was forced to take on the leadership role. He jokingly took jabs at Lonzo and Ingram in the process:
Kyle Kuzma on being vocal about how good this team can be (jokingly): "I kind of have to. Lonzo is 14 and BI has said 10 words all year." #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) April 12, 2018
Per Real GM, the Lakers are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. The average age of the Laker squad is 25.4 years old.
At the beginning of the year, all eyes were on second overall pick Lonzo Ball. Critics were on the lookout if he's all hype or the real deal. While he did prove that he had talent, their eyes were grabbed by Kuzma (27th overall pick), who, despite his similar rookie stature, showed more prowess and maturity than Ball.
For his rookie campaign, Kuz logged in 16.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. As reported by Lakers Nation, Kuzma finished with 1,242 points for fifth place in Los Angeles Lakers all-time rookie scoring list.
Ahead of Kuzma are George Mikan (1,698 points), Jerry West (1,389) and Magic Johnson (1,387). Elgin Baylor holds the record for most points scored by a rookie in franchise history with 1,742 points.
From his performance on court and demeanor, it seems that Kuz is really the one who'll lead the Lakers. He may have just finished his first year in the NBA but it feels like he's been there for at least five.
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