Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma
As second-year forward Kyle Kuzma carves out his role on the new-look Los Angeles Lakers, one thing that’s known is that it’ll be a big one. The team’s former first-round pick is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field.
While the addition of LeBron James in NBA free agency makes it tough to gauge how rotations will look, Kuzma is primed for solid minutes in whatever role he plays. And although we know the Lakers forward went through typical workouts this offseason, he apparently took a bit of a unique route to prepare for game action.
As Mike Trudell of the team’s official website revealed, Kuzma previously stated he played with the Lakers in NBA 2K in order to help his on-court IQ.
Likely Role for Kuzma This Season
It’s tough to envision Kuzma not seeing big minutes again, even with the Lakers adding new faces. Realistically, the 23-year-old forward will likely be one of the first players off the bench and be the go-to option on the second unit.
He’ll also see plenty of run alongside quite a few of the starters. As the preseason was set to get underway, the Lakers made it known Kuzma would see some time at center in the team’s small-ball lineups. It’ll be worth watching to see how those lineups look, but they’ll surely have plenty of players capable of putting the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways.
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