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Podcast: What does Kyle Kuzma bring, and how does he affect the Lakers’ rotation?

The Lakers are getting back an important part of the team in Kyle Kuzma. What exactly does he bring, and who might lose out as a result of his return?

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Memphis Grizzlies v Los Angeles Lakers Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

It sounds like Kyle Kuzma is on the verge of making his 2019-20 season debut, having recovered from a stress reaction in his foot. He’s obviously going to help, but what exactly might that look like, and how might Lakers Head Coach Frank Vogel fit him into the team’s rotation?

Can You Dig It?

Barring any major setbacks, Kyle Kuzma will reportedly make his regular season debut for the Lakers on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kuzma has had no problem putting the ball in the basket since entering the league in 2017, but in order for him to take a leap in his third season, he’s going to have to improve both offensively and defensively. Jacob and Christian look at the things Kuzma can build on from last season, as well as the things he needs to leave in the 2018-19 season on this week’s episode of “Can You Dig It?”

They also take a look at the early numbers for the Lakers, and whether or not they’re sustainable. Will the Lakers finish in the top-10 in offensive rating, defensive rating, or both?

You can listen to the latest episode below, and for more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.

Locked on Lakers

The mailbag was already exceptionally full and, because of a mix-up with iTunes, became extraordinarily full. So as I had plenty of catching up to do, we wasted no time in answering as many questions as humanly possible.

While there was some time to touch on Kuzma’s return, more listeners seemed noticeably interested in Dwight Howard’s redemption arc, and how much better he’s looked than JaVale McGee. Combine that with Kuzma coming back and it’s not all that difficult to see that it might be McGee who bears the brunt of the minutes sacrifice that comes with playing Kuzma the 25-30 minutes Vogel apparently wants to.

Other topics included Los Angeles sports rivalries, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s defense, the kinds of in-season acquisitions the Lakers might be looking to make and more.

You can listen to the entire episode below, and make sure to subscribe on iTunes, where you can also leave questions in the form of a five-star review to guarantee your topic makes the show.

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