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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 bold predictions after All-Star break

By Orestis Rantis

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 27: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on November 27, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 27: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on November 27, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
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5. Kyle Kuzma is no longer the sixth man

During the huge six-month standoff, where the Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans would constantly engage in trade talks involving Anthony Davis, the organization made it perfectly clear on multiple occasions that Kyle Kuzma was not available to be traded.

Instead, the front office decided to trade away Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart who were enough to ensure Kuzma’s stay in LA. Fans were glad to see that at least one member of their young core had stayed with the team, especially a fan favorite like Kuzma.

Kuzma hasn’t quite played like the guy we witnessed during his first two seasons in the league, while the newly acquired members of the Pelicans are flourishing, viz Ingram, who is averaging 24.6 points per game and is now an NBA All-Star.

To be fair, no one can say with certainty that Kuzma’s and Ingram’s roles wouldn’t be reversed had they switched positions. The Lakers are a team with a pair amongst the top-five players in the league, meaning that fewer chances are given to the younger, less experienced players.

Enter, Markieff Morris. The man who might take away a huge chunk of Kuzma’s minutes, moving forward. Morris, despite lacking playoff experience, is undoubtedly the more experienced out of these two forwards.

Related Story. Lakers: Was signing Markieff Morris the right decision?. light

During the playoffs, teams often opt against playing the younger guys and usually favor guys like Morris, who has a nine-year NBA career with over 600 career games played.

So far, Kuzma has been the reserve to get the most minutes of playing time. And even though there is not even the slightest of chances that Morris becomes the team’s sixth man, Kuzma is bound to suffer from the veteran’s arrival.

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