The Lakers’ two superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, give them a chance to compete right now.
But most recent NBA champions have had at least three stars. It’s probably only a matter of time until one of the several two-star team adds a third star and gains an upper hand in the championship chase.
Could that be the Lakers by developing from within?
Kyle Kuzma, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN:
Of course, Kuzma believes in himself. He has made it so far. His confidence has been a big part of his journey.
But he must develop a lot to become a star. A lot.
His game also needs a ton of adjustments for him to become a “third” star. He doesn’t have the complementary skills – defense, passing, etc. – to complement other stars. His specialty is scoring, the most-traditional star skill.
Davis might be best-suited to be the “third” star. He has an all-around game and limitations with his individual scoring. But good luck convincing him to take a backseat to Kyle Kuzma.
It’d be great for Kuzma to take that next step. But it’s much easier said than done.