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Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma is a budding star

By Michael Saenz

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 20: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 20, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 132-130. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 20: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 20, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 132-130. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Kyle Kuzma wasn’t a top draft target, but he’s been a pleasant surprise for the Los Angeles Lakers; meet the budding star

Entering the 2017-18 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ future relied on Lonzo Ball’s potential and hype. At least that was the thought.

Once the season started, though, the Lakers realized that they did have a special rookie on the roster. It just wasn’t Ball. Instead, it turns out that Kyle Kuzma, the lanky 6-foot-9 sharpshooting forward, is the budding star that the Lakers were expecting Ball to be.

And that’s perfectly fine. They’ll take it.

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Kyle Kuzma was the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He played at Utah and wasn’t a big name, if one at all, heading into the draft. That all began to change during the NBA’s Summer League when he was named the Championship MVP, scoring 30 points while hitting six 3-pointers.

But it didn’t start there.

Kuzma carried his impressive Summer League performance to the regular season. Perhaps most impressively, he’s been getting better in every month that has passed.

In October, Kuzma averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game on 35 percent shooting from 3-point range. In November, Kuzma upped those numbers to 18 points and seven rebounds per game on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range. That ballooned to 21 points and eight rebounds per game on 46 percent shooting from 3-point range in December.

Kuzma is now the team’s leading-scorer (18.1) and carries the second-best PER (17.4) on the team, something that couldn’t have been predicted prior to the season.

An argument could be made that Kuzma might actually be the best player on the roster. Even though he doesn’t have the highest of ceilings, he’s definitely playing the best out of the young Lakers.

Kuzma may not be the franchise player that the Los Angeles Lakers have been seeking for the last handful of seasons, and he may not even be the player that replaces Kobe Bryant as the face of the franchise, but he’s been a pleasant find for Magic Johnson.

It’s difficult to firmly label Kyle Kuzma right now. After all, he’s not even halfway through his rookie season. He’s extremely talented, and his skill set perfectly fits with the new NBA. At the same time, we still don’t know what this young talent can blossom into. That’s kind of the beauty of this entire situation.

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As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to sort through their young talent, it’s safe to assume that Kyle Kuzma is a steal. And a budding star.

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