LeBron James Speaks on How Crucial Kyle Kuzma Is to Lakers' Chances of Winning Championship - Lakers Daily LeBron James Speaks on How Crucial Kyle Kuzma Is to Lakers' Chances of Winning Championship - Lakers Daily
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LeBron James Speaks on How Crucial Kyle Kuzma Is to Lakers’ Chances of Winning Championship

LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers picked up their third win of the NBA’s restart in dramatic fashion.

Kyle Kuzma drilled a 3-pointer with less than a second left to lift the Lakers over the Denver Nuggets 124-121.

After Kuzma hit the game-winner, superstar LeBron James had some hefty praise for the 25-year-old forward.

The Lakers expected Kuzma to take the next step as the third banana to James and Anthony Davis when they acquired the latter in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Kuzma had struggled this season, mostly in a bench role, averaging just 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game heading into Monday’s contest. All those numbers are career-lows for Kuzma.

However, James was blunt when talking about Kuzma’s importance to the team.

Besides hitting the game-winning shot, Kuzma was fantastic on Monday, shooting 11-for-16 from the field and scoring 25 points.

He finished the game with the second-highest plus/minus (plus-16) of any Lakers player.

James is right. If the Lakers want to win, Kuzma has to play well. Monday night’s performance is just a small sample of what the third-year forward can do to help bring a championship back to Los Angeles.