LeBron James expresses confidence that Kyle Kuzma will take ‘giant leap’ this season

Amidst all the additions the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have made to their roster, one incumbent player who has seemingly gotten lost in the shuffle is Kyle Kuzma.

However, his superstar teammate LeBron James feels that he’s about to take a big step forward this coming season.

When Kuzma entered the NBA in the 2017-18 season, he immediately emerged as a diamond in the rough. Despite being a late first-round draft pick, the Flint, Mich. native put up 16.1 points a game, then improved to 18.7 points a game in his second season.

In the 2019-20 season, however, Kuzma struggled mightily as he couldn’t quite find his niche offensively alongside James and Anthony Davis.

Now that Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell will likely be the team’s third and fourth scoring options, Kuzma may have an even harder time finding his spots offensively this year.

He’s entering the final year of his contract, and Lakers fans seem divided on whether he should be a part of the team’s core moving forward.

If Kuzma becomes a strong 3-point shooter and improves his defense, it may be enough for him to remain in the Purple and Gold long term.