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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Lakers let go of Danny Green from the champion 2020 team to house a starting point guard in Dennis Schroder. Plus, they lost a few key role players to free agency and came out as a weaker defending team. However, amidst all the uncertainties, Kyle Kuzma was among the few names who still stayed in the unit. But that quickly changed in 2021 after a poor show.

Kuzma saw a forgetful fourth season with the Lakers where he choked in the playoffs. His step-back jumpers went air-balling, that defense work stood mediocre, and he would allow a DeMarcus Cousins to posterize him instantly. But post his trade, the star has somehow gathered back his lost confidence, and it’s visible through his words.

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Kyle Kuzma came back at Lakers fans raising fingers at him

The Lakers sent away Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and their #22 Draft Pick to house the elephant in Russell Westbrook. This made the Wizards look more like the Lakers’ B-team. However, Kyle Kuzma cares less because he probably sees this trade as a shot at resurgence.

Recently, Kuz was on a flight and he invited people for a Q&A. So a Twitter account asked him about his plans in DC as the 26-YO pulled out a befitting response from his bag. Take a look – 

This certainly means that Kriss Kross sees his handshake with Bradley Beal as something that can help his career. The star already has a two-year experience playing alongside one of the league’s greatest duos and is now responsible for forming a duo of his own.

Read more – Why Did Russell Westbrook Choose #0 as His Lakers Jersey Number?

Why does Kuz believe he can do better than the last two years?

Remember when a frustrated Kuzma once demanded more playing minutes for center Marc Gasol? Well, he had similar wants for his own self, too. To start the games, Kuzma’s best season was 2018-19 where an injured LeBron James had opened up a place for him to come up and flourish. Turns out that was his career-best year where the youngster averaged 18.7 ppg.

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via Imago

However, it all changed with Anthony Davis, as he could start only nine games in 2019-20. Frank Vogel never allowed Kuzma to start in a playoff game in the last two years. In fact, his minutes on the court took a colossal hit in the 2021 postseason as the star forward averaged just 21.5 minutes even with AD sitting out for most parts. 

All that certainly irritated the young blood, as he might still feel that he can do better in an organization that can show greater faith in him. So now with the Wizards, he hopes for exactly that and hence the confidence of doing better than ever.

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What do you think, can the 26-YO walk the talk? Help us know in the comments section below.

Watch this story – Kyle Kuzma, Ben Simmons, and Other NBA Stars Who Had a Nightmarish 2021 Playoffs