As the last remaining remnant of a long-forgotten era, Kyle Kuzma carries big expectations on his shoulders. With the long-term future of the LeBron/Davis duo in doubt, many Lakers fans are looking to him to be the guy to take up the mantle.
While Kuzma does shave the honor of calling himself an NBA Champion, he has shown just a few flashes of star potential, and some aren’t convinced he’ll ever live up to that call.
In a segment on his podcast, ESPN Insider Zach Lowe spoke candidly about what he sees as an underwhelming performance by the 25-year-old.
“Kyle Kuzma is just a good basketball player now.”
"Kyle Kuzma is just a good basketball player now."
– ESPN’s Zach Lowe ✊ pic.twitter.com/xgicwnhOZG
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) April 27, 2021
Just a few years ago, Kuzma was seen as the most likely to emerge as a star from the original young core (that included Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle), and many fans expected him to be the next Laker great.
Obviously, that hasn’t happened quite yet, but that doesn’t mean Kuz hasn’t been productive. This season, he’s averaging a modest 12.9 points per game on 43.8% shooting off the bench, and he’s been a huge boon to their offense in the wake of the injuries to LeBron and AD.
In the end, the 25-year-old has been pretty solid, but whether or not he’ll ever become a legitimate star remains to be seen.
