Kyle Kuzma believes LA Lakers would have repeated as champions in 2020-21 season if they were healthy: "We would of repeat if we were healthy"
Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma enjoyed championship success with the LA Lakers in the 2019-20 season. However, the forward recently mentioned his belief in the team's ability to repeat championship success the following season.
The LA Lakers emerged as one of the best teams in the NBA in the 2019-20 season. After giving up several young pieces, the Lakers managed to make a trade that brought superstar big man Anthony Davis over from the New Orleans Pelicans.
After pairing Davis with superstar LeBron James, the Purple and Gold had one of the most potent combinations in the NBA. However, the team itself featured some extremely talented players who had bought into their roles and the team's schemes.
In a turbulent season that featured the pandemic and the Orlando Bubble, the Lakers faced several odds, much like other teams. However, they overcame these difficulties to emerge as champions in the Bubble.
The Purple and Gold made quite a few changes to their roster the following season. Bringing over Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder, among others, the Lakers immediately added some valuable players to their team.
Unfortunately, the team fell far short of expectations as they were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round itself.
Since then, the Lakers have been on a steady decline.
With injuries and lack of team chemistry being a primary reason, the Purple and Gold were dealt a poor hand. However, a comment made by a fan garnered particular attention from former Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma.
A fan tweeted saying:
"The Lakers will make the playoffs if Bron and AD are healthy."
In many ways, this seems like a valid assessment. Given that both players have enjoyed success when they're on the floor together, the Lakers certainly are a team to watch out for when both are available.
However, Kuzma took things a step further when he replied to the tweet.
"We would of repeat if we were healthy."
@jrichardgoodman We would of repeat if we were healthy
Kuzma's comments on the matter offer an interesting perspective on the situation.
Coming off a championship run, the LA Lakers had built a rather potent roster to make another run at the title. Unfortunately, as Kuzma mentioned, the Lakers were plagued by injuries which resulted in a significant dropoff in performance.
While the Wizards forward may have some bias in his opinion, he may not have been wrong in making his claim. But was the team really good enough to repeat title success?
The LA Lakers had the team to win it all again
Kyle Kuzma made a rather bold claim regarding the LA Lakers' chances of repeated title success. However, these claims have some basis in logic.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis firing on all cylinders, the Purple and Gold were one of the best teams in the league. This, paired with the impact of their role players, made them an extremely efficient roster as well.
Considering that the Lakers held onto the top spot in the West for a decent part of the season, there is a valid reason which lends to Kuzma's claim.
The Lakers' downfall really started after James sustained an injury against the Atlanta Hawks. With James and Davis out of the rotation, the team was in free fall. However, their identity as a solid defensive unit remained intact.
With both Davis and LeBron returning far too late in the season, the team had little to no chance of settling into a rhythm.
In this regard, while Kuzma's claim presents an interesting hypothetical, the LA Lakers may still face a tough time in the playoffs.