Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has been lauded for being a better team player this season, and his superstar teammate LeBron James had a lot to do with that.
Prior to getting the three-year, $40 million extension with the Purple and Gold, there were doubts if the 25-year-old can evolve as a complete player rather than just being a pure scorer. LeBron reportedly issued a challenge to Kuz, offering him a chance to be part of something special.
The Flint, Michigan-native has indeed put in the work, showing flashes of improved defense, rebounding and just being a better teammate overall. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has certainly noticed Kuz's improvements at the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign.
“There’s a lot of different ways you can impact the game,” Vogel said of Kuzma, per Dan Woke of Los Angeles Times.
“As he’s grown his offensive rebounding, he’s really gotten comfortable with that aspect of his game and has given us a huge lift—just creating a lot of extra possessions that are helping us win games. So, it’s just a testament to understand that there’s many ways you can impact the game without scoring.”
LeBron James and the reigning champions leaned on Kyle Kuzma once more when superstar Anthony Davis recently sat out two games due to injury. Kuz showcased his development, holding the fort without The Brow.
Kuz is actually averaging the lowest scoring average of his career for the Lakers this year, notching 10.7 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.2 percent from deep, along with 6.0 rebounds in 27 games so far. He put up 20 points and 10 boards in LA's last win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
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