Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma sees more action when LeBron James isn’t on the court, though Kuzma acknowledges that his teammate brings a different look to the team when he’s running the Lakers offense.
It’s clear to Kuzma that when James is playing, the 17-year veteran serves as the focal point for how the offense functions.
“Obviously, LeBron not playing allows me to have the ball, pick-and-roll, but there’s certain times when LeBron’s not playing where I’m able to do that, when he’s not on the court,” Kuzma said. “But when he’s on the court, you kind of just fall in line and let that kind of dictate.”
James sat out the Lakers’ 116-86 Thursday night rout of the Golden State Warriors.
While his presence wasn’t needed for that particular game, the Lakers can’t afford to be without the future Hall of Famer if they hope to challenge for an NBA title.
Two areas where the Lakers struggle when James isn’t on the court are in 3-point shooting and turnovers.
Both of those problems were evident in the Golden State victory. Though they had no effect on the final score, the Lakers thrive when James is able to set up shots beyond the arc and hold onto the ball.
Kuzma has accepted his new role coming off the bench, primarily because it’s helped change the Lakers from playoff also-rans into championship contenders.
Following the lead of James is a solid blueprint to follow for any team, considering his teams have reached the finals nine times and won three NBA titles. Kuzma and the Lakers are hoping to add to that number this June.
