Kyle Kuzma’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers has been interesting, to say the least. The Lakers star has been heavily criticized at times for his play while on other nights, Kuzma is getting showered with praise as some believe he is the team’s closer. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the team, Kuzma has taken a bit of a backseat but when Davis went down with an injury last month, Kuzma was promoted and placed in the starting lineup.
Now, however, Kuzma is back on the bench even though Davis isn’t back in the lineup. This is an obvious demotion for a player who has struggled to live up to the expectations that were thrust upon him after his first two seasons in the league. Following last night’s win against the Golden State Warriors, Kuzma spoke out about his demotion and what it will mean going forward.
“I just gotta control what I can control,” Kuzma said. Based on these comments, it is clear that Kuzma is frustrated with his current predicament although he is well-aware that if he starts to improve his play, he can easily get back into the starting rotation.
As the season goes on, the Lakers will need Kuzma to sure up their depth and once the playoffs come around, he will be instrumental in their success. Hopefully, he finds a way to turn things around.
