Los Angeles Lakers: Mid-season grades for each player
The NBA season has officially reached its halfway point. With 41 games played, here is the player grade for each Los Angeles Lakers’ player.
This NBA season has been one accompanied by its share of ups and downs, but mostly downs, for the Los Angeles Lakers. We have now arrived at the halfway point of said season, and it is time to reflect.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been successful per se, the team’s young talent has given fans reason to be hopeful for the future, which is really what this season is all about. From the development of Brandon Ingram, to the surprising play of Kyle Kuzma, many of the Lakers have shown promise, but there have also been some that have brought the team nothing but disappointment.
Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Kuzma’s success has been by far the team’s, if not the entire NBA’s, most astounding revelation this year. The 27th pick in the draft has shattered the expectations allotted to him based on where he was drafted.
No one expected this 22-year-old forward from Utah to be one of the leagues best rookies, averaging 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Actually, that’s not true. There is someone who expected this from Kuzma, and his name is Kyle Kuzma.
After setting his career high in points against the Houston Rockets on December 20th, Kuzma was asked if he expected himself to be performing this well as a rookie. His answer was the perfect summation of who Kuzma is as a player, “oh yeah, yeah no problem.”
His confidence is impossible to miss both when he says things like this, and every time he steps onto the court. He plays with zero doubt in his ability to score at will, a trait not usually seen in first-year players. It will be a joy to see this young player develop both over the rest of this season, and for many seasons to come.
While several Los Angeles Lakers have also put together good seasons, Kuzma is the only one that warrants an “A” rating.
Grade: A