Los Angeles Lakers: Best candidates for 2018-19 NBA awards

Sixth Man of the Year: Kyle Kuzma

LeBron James’ arrival to the Los Angeles Lakers will certainly shift the dynamic of the Los Angeles Lakers, and it should enhance what Kyle Kuzma brings to the table off the bench. Kuzma will most likely come off the bench for Los Angeles in 2018-19 but that shouldn’t be a bad thing considering the upside he showed as a rookie.

Kuzma had a productive rookie season for the Lakers in 2017-18. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest while shooting 36.6 percent from behind the arc. The 6’9″ forward has an opportunity to re-create the magic former forward Lamar Odom created. He was the last player to win the Sixth Man of the Year award back during the 2010-11 season, producing 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the starting rotation.

Kuzma will have his own trio of stars ahead of him, but it shouldn’t slow down his progress. If anything, it gives him a better opportunity to seize his role as a stretch-4 on the perimeter.