When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Kyle Kuzma with the No. 27 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, few could have predicted the immediate impact he would have. Kuzma burst onto the scene in Summer League, shined during the preseason, and carried that momentum throughout his rookie campaign.
For all his success — including a selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team — Kuzma went into the offseason focused on improving. He was among the young Lakers who said players needed to be focused on themselves and not bank on the team potentially making a splash in free agency.