Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is a firm believer that teammate Kyle Kuzma is poised for a huge season in 2020-21. On Thursday, the King retweeted a post about which NBA player will take a giant leap next season and boldly suggested Kuzma's name.
Kyle Kuzma! https://t.co/W2oDJkFLP7
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 4, 2020
Kyle Kuzma, of course, was heavily maligned online for his inconsistent showing for the Lakers this year, especially come playoff time.
The 6-foot-8 forward was expected to be the Lakers' third-best option behind James and Anthony Davis, only to see his numbers regress across the board. The Flint-Michigan native notched 12.8 points on 43.5 percent shooting from the field and an underwhelming 31.6 percent from three. He also normed 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 dimes in 61 games.
Those numbers grew more sporadic in the playoffs but luckily, the Lakers still managed to hoist their 17th Larry O'Brien trophy in franchise history. Some users online even suggested through memes that LeBron certainly wanted Kuz out of LA during last season's trade deadline.
But judging by James' most recent proclamation looks like he still has a lot of faith in Kuz's capabilities. The 25-year-old made a conscious effort of becoming a better defensive player last season for the Lakers, and it clearly showed. Kuzma, however, has yet to figure out how he can be most effective offensively while sharing the floor with Bron and AD.
The 2020-21 campaign, meanwhile, will indeed be a make or break year for Kuz in Hollywood. The Lakers brass has yet to show their commitment to Kuz and his performance next season will likely decide if they will offer him that extension.
If Kyle Kuzma can put all the pieces together, however, the Lakers' already loaded roster would get another high-level contributor whose perimeter shooting would be the perfect complement to the size and length Los Angeles has in the paint.
Kuzma coming alive would make the Lakers even more of a juggernaut. That's a scary prospect for the rest of the West.
Follow Us
Subscribe