On Sunday, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel admitted Kyle Kuzma still has a lot to learn if he is to live up to the star potential we all believe he’s got in him. And though he has struggled to stay consistent all season long, coach Vogel also admitted today that Kuz has been among the best players on the team since the Orlando restart began earlier this month.
“Kuz has been one of our best players since this restart in these practices,” Vogel said. “He’s had a couple of stretches where he just dominated the floor and it has been really encouraging to see.
“He had some inconsistency with the beginning of our season because he dealt with three different injuries that really prohibited him from getting his legs under him. The shot-making wasn’t always there, but its been there at a very high level during this restart and we’re very encouraged and excited about what having a sort of a real training camp or healthy training camp could mean for him.
“Hopefully, that leads to an increased role and gives us that boost that we’re looking for.”
Kuzma is the last remaining remnant of the young core of stars the Lakers had in their dark age. Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle have all moved on to other teams — with some faring much better than they ever have in L.A.
As for Kuz, he’s had trouble adjusting to the new roster. Playing third fiddle behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis has not been easy and his name has surfaced on countless trade rumors, but there seems to be confidence and optimism that he is finally to take that next step and become the player his team needs him to be.
This season, he is averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 43.2% shooting.
