Even though he’s considered one of the young guys, Kyle Kuzma is comfortable enough in his own skin to give you his honest take on things. And back on Dec. 22, it was Kuzma who put a different but spot-on spin on the mantra that Frank Vogel and the Lakers have leaned on throughout this season.
LeBron James had missed his first game of the season, sitting out with a thoracic muscle strain. The Lakers lost to Denver.
“It’s kind of hard to next-man-up LeBron,” Kuzma said afterward.
Make no mistake: The next-man-up belief runs deep on this team.