Retired NBA player Metta World Peace came to the defense of Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, who has been the subject of criticisms for his inconsistent showing in the 2020 playoffs.

World Peace, a former Lakers player himself, stressed how valuable Kuz is to LA's system — particularly his fit alongside the team's two best players in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Kyle Kuzma certainly has had his ups and downs in the 2019-20 campaign, especially once play resumed inside the bubble at Walt Disney World.

The 6-foot-8 forward actually had one of his better performances in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on Sunday, tallying 19 points and three boards on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from downtown.

Kuz, however, was not spared from even more criticism after the Purple and Gold lost Game 3, 115-104.

The Flint, Michigan native also didn't do himself any favors when he addressed his detractors after the game. The Lakers youngster claimed that he doesn't get bothered by the hate and said that “Twitter is for jokes.”

Shortly after that impressive rookie season in 2017, Kuzma saw himself with a smaller role in the next two seasons with the arrival of LeBron and AD. He was pegged as LA's instant offense off the bench and was seen capable of being the team's third man.

While he has shown flashes of that ability from time to time, Kuz has been unable to play his role on a nightly basis. The 25-year-old forward is great when he gets it going, but he is pretty much a liability when those shots are not falling.

Now on his third year in the league, Kuz has yet to make the adjustments to become a decent defender and better overall player.

World Peace, on the other hand, certainly knows a thing or to about embracing his role. The once-feared enforcer toned down his ways upon arriving in LA and was a crucial piece in the Lakers' 2010 championship.

Maybe Kuz can take a page off MWP's book and start making contributions apart from scoring.