With all of the player movement that occurred during the 2019 NBA offseason, the league has suddenly turned into one of teams with two All-Star players each.
The Los Angeles Lakers have their pair in LeBron James and Anthony Davis but have hopes of a third with many pointing to Kyle Kuzma as the best possibility.
Kuzma is the only one of the young Lakers remaining on the roster after the others were dealt away in order to trade for Davis and there is no denying he has major potential. He has been an excellent scorer from Day 1, and works hard to improve every facet of his game giving many hope that he will be able to make that leap.
The 2019-20 NBA season will bring a spotlight and pressure unlike any he has faced in the league. However, Kuzma isn’t worried about that, telling Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN that he believes he can develop into the team’s third All-Star player and isn’t feeling any pressure:
“I don’t feel no pressure, but I believe that I am capable of being that superstar,” Kuzma told ESPN. “I put a lot of work in. My progress through my journey shows that I can be there. I developed every single year, dating back to college, and I don’t see that development stunting at all.”
Kuzma also isn’t discouraged by last season’s shooting struggles. His three-point percentage dropped in a big way, but he made strides in other areas and believes with that continued development he can turn into exactly what the Lakers are looking for:
Kuzma added, “Last year I didn’t shoot the ball well, and I still averaged almost 20 [points per game]. If I can shoot the ball well and keep developing the facets of my game defensively, I don’t see why I can’t [be that third star].”
Kuzma shot just 30.3% from deep last season — a far cry from the 36.6% he shot as a rookie. With James and Davis on the team, the open looks will be there for Kuzma and he will have to knock them down. By all accounts, he is preparing for that and will be ready when that time comes.
He certainly has the belief from his team as Anthony Davis has been very complimentary and even Klay Thompson spoke about him being ‘perfect’ for today’s game.
Kuzma has worked hard to prepare himself for this moment and it will be on him to deliver.