Kyle Kuzma has been a crucial cog in the Washington Wizards' 2-1 start to the season – and it hasn't just been because of his scoring ability.
The former Los Angeles Lakers forward has grabbed 13 rebounds per games in his first three contests in Washington. He's also provided a defensive presence at the forward spot with Rui Hachimura still on the sidelines. Kuzma credits his former teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis for helping turn him into a multi-faceted contributor.
“When LeBron comes and AD comes, we’re all in the same position so obviously you have to take a backseat and rightfully so, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Kuzma told NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller.
“For me, I’ve been able to have that scoring role but also do the little things, the intangible things: boxing out, rebounding, playing defense. Just the little things that you need to win championships and win at a high level, I was able to gain that too. I’m looking to put it all together now so it’s great.”
"I'm looking to put it all together now." 🗣️ @kylekuzma tells @cmillsnbcs
The former Laker is looking to mesh being the scoring option with doing the little things this year with the Wizards. 😤
Tune into @WashWizards 🆚 Celtics in 5️⃣ minutes! https://t.co/xozOZmWtLD pic.twitter.com/r7B2Q8aKtO
— NBC Sports Washington (@NBCSWashington) October 27, 2021
Kuzma was oft-maligned during his time with the Lakers. A handful expected him to morph into their third star, but that assimilation never happened.
But he's turned into a productive player nonetheless, one the Wizards are happy to have.
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