Lakers Rumors: Three reasons Kyle Kuzma is their best rookie

He can lead when Lonzo Ball can’t be there

When Lonzo Ball had to miss the Summer League championship game versus Portland, there was ample room for concern about who would step up. In previous games, Kyle Kuzma had excelled with Ball on the floor with him, but his response as a solo act was incredible.

Instead of taking a back seat, which would’ve been the easy thing to do, Kuzma took the wheel and willed LA to a Summer League crown in Las Vegas. Not only did he help the team win the championship game, but he was named the Final MVP and went off for a ridiculous 30 points and 10 boards.

If Lonzo Ball fails to come through as a leader for whatever reason, the Lakers front office have every reason to put their faith in Kyle Kuzma. Without any superstars on the team, there isn’t the distraction of playing in their shadow that happening in Kobe Bryant’s last season.

It could’ve been a major factor in the lack of development the team felt they were getting from D’Angelo Russell. Now that it won’t be that way, the young guys will get a chance to really show what they’ve got.

The best part of all of the Summer League surprises was that Kuzma really did come out of nowhere. Taken 27th overall, he’s proven to be another successful late draft pick in Los Angeles. Other than him, the biggest late draft surprise on the team is Jordan Clarkson, who’s emerged as a budding star.