Lakers News: Kyle Kuzma Feels 'Unbelievable' After Recovering from Injuries

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Avery Bradley for the NBA restart in Orlando, Florida, but perhaps a healthy Kyle Kuzma can provide some perimeter shooting and toughness in his absence.

Kuzma had spent the majority of the 2019-20 season playing through an assortment of injuries. He suffered a stress reaction in his left ankle during USA Basketball training camp last summer and sprained the same ankle in December.

However, the NBA's hiatus has allowed the 24-year-old to round back into shape, and he told reporters he feels strong again during a conference call on Tuesday:

"I feel unbelievable health-wise. I feel great. Throughout the season had some injuries, playing through injuries, but the break allowed me to get physically 100%. Mentally, I've been reading, meditating and painting a lot, just preparing my mind for the playoffs. I feel great."

Injuries have only been part of the story for Kuzma this season.

The former first-round pick seemed to be blossoming into a star when he followed a strong rookie season by averaging 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in his sophomore campaign. The Lakers traded Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, but they retained Kuzma.

Things seemed to be shaping up nicely for the former Utah star. He appeared to be a future centerpiece on a team that also expected to contend for championships in the coming years, but the ankle injury altered his momentum.

Kuzma missed the first four games. When he returned, he was coming off the bench and struggled to adapt to playing with the second unit. In January, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported the Lakers were open to listening to offers for him.

A trade never materialized, but the Flint, Michigan native continued to struggle. His true shooting numbers fell closer to 49 percent over his final 16 games prior to the suspension of play, per Basketball Reference, and he also shot a combined 11-of-58 from beyond the arc during that stretch.

Kuzma has been a much better defender this season, though the Lakers have a better defensive rating when he is off the floor. He also has the worst defensive box plus-minus on the team. Can he give the Purple and Gold a better effort with a rested ankle?

Bradley could guard multiple positions on the perimeter, and he also shot a respectable 36.4 percent from deep. Without him, L.A.'s second unit must step up and provide spacing so LeBron James and Anthony Davis can operate more efficiently.

Kuzma might not be the most well-equipped to fill Bradley's shoes, especially on the defensive end of the floor, but his presence as a more efficient and dependable third scoring option could give the Lakers a much-needed boost.

Los Angeles will hope a fully healthy version of Kuzma can do just that.

All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.