It takes a team to raise a trophy. While that may be the case, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel gave his expert opinion on which player has made a difference for the Lakers in achieving that milestone during the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat (via Silver Screen & Roll's Harrison Faigen).

https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1314286716342026240

Kyle Kuzma has oftentimes become the scapegoat for a Lakers fanbase that demands nothing short of perfection from a historic franchise. His stats aren't mesmerizing by the means of calling him a star, but he's done the work that usually can't be found on a stat sheet.

He'll be remembered for most of this series due to his ill-timed passes along with the awkward shot choices. His defense has been remarkable though in the times he's been tasked with guarding Heat talent Jimmy Butler amongst the other sharpshooters they possess.

Kuzma did turn in an impressive performance in Game 3, though the Lakers' overall minimal efforts resulted in a loss. He finished the contest with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and three rebounds. In Game 4 his scoring numbers dipped to only nine points, but it included two key 3-pointers to help the Lakers take a 3-1 lead.

Kuzma was seen as a prized possession that the Lakers couldn't afford to let go of in the offseason Anthony Davis trade, opting to keep him over the likes of Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. After going from arguably the second option to the third option in only the third year of his career, it's understandable that this would be a transitional year for Kuzma.

If he's able to continue his development into becoming a bona fide scorer, he and Davis could become the next duo for the Lakers in the future.