Kyle Kuzma and the Los Angeles Lakers are no longer wallowing in the shadows of the summer amidst their newly constructed squad. Media day was the first look inside the beginning of what appears to be a new chapter in the franchise’s storybook. The ink, for now, are dried on the deals and it’s only a matter of time before the sweat is pouring and the guys start putting in work on the floor. While many of the Lakers gear up to address the scrum of hundreds, Kuzma balances a plethora of questions about his injury status.
A stress reaction in his foot is likely to keep him sidelined until mid-October. The injury came during his stint with Team USA.
Kuzma on his injury: "Obviously I was disappointed because I wanted to be with the team [USA] but at the same time it's good that we caught it at the right time. It is serious but it's not serious"
— Lakers Outsiders (@LakersOutsiders) September 27, 2019
Despite the news, General Manager Rob remained optimistic regarding Kuzma’s health and season outlook per Pete Zayas of Laker Film Room:
Pelinka says that they’re optimistic regarding Kuzma’s health based on his progress so far, and not much worry about the injury going forward.
— Laker Film Room (@LakerFilmRoom) September 27, 2019
If the Lakers are going to bounce back this season, it goes without question that Kuzma has to be a big contributor to the turnaround. With the team starting an involuntary camp in Las Vegas before officially starting training camp, Kuzma loses a little time to get a taste of early chemistry. Despite his absence, its great to hear that the team and medical staff see him excited to recover. The last thing that the Lakers need is to go through the ringer of being hobbled like last season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the lone Laker to play all 82 games last season. Kuzma missed 12 games last season.
