“Kyle Kuzma is on the same level as Jayson Tatum”: NBA insider says the Lakers star believes he’s in the same stratosphere as Celtics superstar

An NBA insider says that Kyle Kuzma firmly believes he’s on the same level as Jayson Tatum and that he’s supremely confident in himself. 

The Los Angeles Lakers lucked out in the latter half of the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft as they snagged college veteran, Kyle Kuzma, with the 27th pick. Though Lonzo Ball was the Lakers’ prized possession as they selected him with the 2nd overall pick over guys like Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, it was Kuzma who the Lakers retained in the Anthony Davis trade. 

Kyle Kuzma has been a solid piece for the Lakers since being drafted as he’s played the role of being a floor spacing big-man decently. Though he’s never cracked the 37% mark from beyond the arc, his numbers are more situational than what is portrayed on the stat sheet.

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With LeBron James and Anthony Davis taking over the purple and gold, Kuzma was relegated to being an outside threat as nearly half of his shots came from 3-point land during the 2020-21 NBA season. It’s quite hard for a player to keep up good efficiency when he’s not given a chance to get into rhythm. 

Kyle Kuzma believes he’s on the same level as Jayson Tatum. 

An NBA insider, Eric Pinus of the Lakers Chats podcast, revealed that Kyle Luzma is supremely confident in his talents and has even compared himself to Celtics superstar, Jayson Tatum. 

“I think Kyle Kuzma perceives himself as someone like Jayson Tatum. I think that’s how he views himself and that’s great. You should view yourself as one of the best young players in the league,” said Pinus.

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Kuzma has shown several flashes of being a guy who do much more than just spot up from 3 on the wing or in the corner. His sophomore season saw him average nearly 19 points per game as LeBron James recovered from a strained groin injury. 

Saying you’re on the same level as someone who’s the undisputed number one option on a team that makes the Playoffs each season is something that needs to be backed up. However, with the Lakers looking to optimize James’s 19th season to a max, the young buck may have to put his breakout season on the back-burner for a while.