4. Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers
Second-year players are rarely put in a position to emerge as Sixth Man of the Year candidates, but Kyle Kuzma feels like an exception. After such a loaded Rookie of the Year race that included Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum, Kuzma’s 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game would’ve gone under the radar if he didn’t play for such a prestigious franchise.
Now, with LeBron James bringing even more attention to the Los Angeles Lakers, Kuzma has a chance to be one of the youngsters who answers the bell for a team with heightened expectations for the new season. In a sixth man role, he can continue to feast on opposing second units behind either Brandon Ingram or the King.
He’ll most likely share the floor with them in small-ball lineups too, which will only make his 36.6 percent shooting from 3 even more helpful. If this 23-year-old can improve on his NBA-ready scoring ability and maturity, he’ll emerge as a serious 6MOY option in just his second season.