With the NBA Restart on the horizon, we are going to take stock of who is on the Los Angeles Lakers, what they did, or didn’t do this season, and what to look for as the Lakers look to march towards their 17th championship banner in the most unprecedented circumstances in NBA history.

Kyle Kuzma

The 2019-20 season was an exercise in patience for third-year forward Kyle Kuzma. It started with a long recovery from a stress reaction in his leg, which caused him to miss training camp, the preseason and the first four games of the regular season. When Kuzma returned, it became clear that he would not have the same role in terms of minutes or shots, and he would have to find a way to fit in on a team with championship aspirations.

Kuzma has had a few strong scoring games, but he’s mostly had to settle for improving his defense and no longer being a liability on that end. He’s had to improve there because his offensive efficiency has gone down this season. He hasn’t delivered in the expectation of being a consistent third scorer for the Lakers. His 3-point shooting is below 30% for the first time in his career and Kuzma’s points per shot, according to Cleaning The Glass, is the lowest it has ever been, at 105 points per 100 shots. Kuzma was at 110 in each of the last two seasons.

Kuzma has been a more physical defender this season and while it has led to a higher foul-rate, his fouls are significantly less important than fouls for Anthony Davis or LeBron James. Kuzma has also been honest that the season hasn’t been that easy for him, but the team’s veterans have drilled into him that this is what being on a championship team is about: sacrificing individual accolades and stats to help the team accomplish a bigger goal. Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times interviewed Kuzma about this back in December.

“That’s just part of sacrifice and trying to be on a winning team,” he said. “Obviously, it’s hard sometimes when you’re a young player wanting to continue to establish yourself and see you measure up across the league. In certain situations, you have the opportunities to just play. It’s hard sometimes — naturally.

“But I’ve got good vets around me, keep things in perspective. I have an opportunity to win a ring in my third year. Sometimes, I just have to catch myself, realize.”

Kuzma has maintained that attitude for this season. Earlier in the season, after one of Kuzma’s better games in Portland, LeBron James said the vision was for Kuzma to be their third scorer.

“We want him to be that third scorer for us, consistently get to 18 to 20 points a night and more important you know, it’s just the efficiency right now that I love,” James said of Kuzma, who was nine for 17 from the field. “He’s just been very efficient mixing it up with his 3s, his paint touches. You saw it tonight on the break as well, just mixing it up.”

Kuzma averaged only 12.5 points per game and this is the first season in his career he has failed to average over 15 points per game. However, he may have to do it a few times in the playoffs if the Lakers are going to have a deep playoff run. But smartly, Rob Pelinka made sure that the team is not only counting on Kuzma to deliver in that role. With the acquisitions of Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith, the Lakers are counting on having several different options and ride the hot-hand.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing for Kuzma’s playoff outlook is that his shooting has been so far below his career averages, he might be due for a bounceback in the restart.

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