Kyle Kuzma knows what it’s like to be the underdog as after falling to the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 27 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he quickly set out to make all the teams who passed on him regret their decision.
For the past two seasons, he has provided the Lakers with a real scoring threat both inside and outside while thriving in the Los Angeles spotlight that so many others have found uncomfortable.
Now, as Kuzma fights to earn a spot on Team USA heading into the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the sole survivor of the team’s young core hopes to prove that he can become the third All-Star player the team failed to land in free agency.
On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane discusses Kuzma’s performance in limited action during Team USA’s scrimmage in Las Vegas, then dives into his skill set to decipher whether or not he has the makeup of a third All-Star player. While Kuzma’s versatility on both ends of the floor are intriguing, he does still have a number of holes in his game that he will need to work on if he hopes to reach his lofty goals.
That said, one of the most impressive things about Kuzma is his mentality. He has the drive and desire to be an All-Star player in the NBA and isn’t afraid of the bright lights of Los Angeles. Sometimes, on the road to greatness, mentality can be the difference between completing the journey and sputtering out well short of the destination.
His third season in the NBA could be a telling one for Kuzma. Will he step up and make the leap towards stardom or does he top out as a high-level role player?
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