How Los Angeles Lakers Can Get the Most out of Kyle Kuzma Next Season
The 2020-21 season was a disappointment for the defending NBA champions, Los Angeles Lakers, with a first-round exit. The team will now look to retool, but it might be challenging with the current cap sheet and lack of draft assets.
There is one player whose development and role will be vital going forward already on L.A.'s roster: Kyle Kuzma.
In LeBron James' first year as a Laker and before Anthony Davis arrived in Los Angeles, Kuzma was a starter. He was the team's second-leading scorer at 18.7 points despite shooting 30.3 percent from three. But all of that changed the following season with a coaching change and roster turnover.
Under coach Frank Vogel and with Davis in the fold, Kuzma had to adjust to a new role coming off the bench. Playing fewer minutes led to a drop in his scoring to 12.8 points, but his effort on defense showed some growth. He helped the Lakers off the bench on their way to the title.
This season, Kuzma averaged nearly the same points as the previous season but shot better from three (36.1 percent). He even had a career year in effective field-goal percentage at 53.3 percent. As the injuries began to pile up for the Lakers—first Davis and then James—Kuzma stepped up his game a notch. He put up 14.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists during that stretch.
But the playoffs were a completely different story. Like almost every other Laker, Kuzma struggled. He scored 6.3 points, shot 29.2 percent from the field and completed just 17.4 percent from three. The Phoenix Suns took advantage of the injuries, but guys like Kuzma could not make them pay for leaving.
Looking ahead to next season, the Lakers are going to need more from him—especially with his three-year extension kicking in at $13 million per year. There does not seem to be much of an appetite for Kuzma on the trade market, so unless something unexpected happens, he will be back in L.A.
That means finding more ways to fit on the court with James and Davis on the offensive end. And adding these two key elements to his offensive game can be exactly what the Lakers need next season.
Cutting
Listed at 6'10”, 221 pounds, Kuzma's slender frame plus athleticism should make him a great cutter. Opportunities are available for him with opponents focusing more on James and Davis, as well as Dennis Schroder as the other primary ball handler when they share the floor.
During the 2018-19 season, Kuzma was a dynamic cutter, giving Los Angeles a 1.22 points per possession with plays that ended with him cutting. Last season that ppp dropped to 1.13, and it dropped even lower this season to 1.05. In addition to the effectiveness dropping so did the frequency of the cuts each year.
Cutting to the basket should be a big part of Kuzma's offense, especially whenever James is on the floor. Defenses will be focused on him and open up lanes for Kuzma, like this play against the Suns with James facing up his defender just inside the three-point line. With the defense's attention focused on James, Kuzma acts like he is coming to set a screen and then darts to the basket before finishing over Frank Kaminsky for a bucket.
The goal for Kuzma should be to double the frequency of possessions he cuts next season, if not more. Cuts have a way of manipulating defenses, because even if the cutter does not get the ball, it paves the way for someone else to get a good look by moving the defense. Kuzma should evolve into the Lakers' best cutter, and that will help him fit on the court with the dynamic duo.
Ball-Handling
The other area where the Lakers need Kuzma to improve is his ball-handling. He is not going to be a primary ball-handler but needs to attack the second side attack. In the same logic as cutting, opponents will be focused on the bigger names, so his ability to drive when defenses are rotating is imperative.
Kuzma's ball skills are holding him back from taking advantage when teams close on to him. Phoenix sends two guys to James ,who kicks it out to Kuzma. He loses the ball as he attacks the middle, and that is another lost possession for the Lakers.
Or when he gets the kick-ahead pass from Alex Caruso, Kuzma has his primary defender beat with a pump fake. But once he puts the ball down to drive, he loses, and the Suns are running again.
Kuzma even acknowledged in his exit press conference that he needs to improve his handles. He said, “The number one thing that can help me is adding a handle to my game.” He called it his top priority this summer.
Tightening up his dribble will go a long way for his and the Lakers' game. The value for the Lakers if Kuzma can improve that aspect of his game is immense. It will make defenses a bit resistant to leaving him and force them to change their approach.
The Lakers need Kuzma to become a more effective cutter and ball-handler to open up more ways to attack offensively. His improvement in those roles, along with better shooting and defense, would make him an even better fit alongside James and Davis. Flat out, the Lakers are going to need more from Kyle Kuzma next season, and that will start with his preparation in the offseason.
Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA.
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