Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma admitted the short turnaround from 2019-2020 season impacted the play of the team during the 2020-21 season.
Kyle Kuzma only missed four games during the regular season, however the Lakers faced several injuries in key players of the roster including Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
(via Lakersnation):
“A grueling three months and to ramp it back up really quick, I felt like that’s why you see a lot of little injuries that we had and some soft tissue with AD throughout the year, but I think a longer offseason will do us all well, especially for me.
I haven’t had a nice, good offseason in two years. Getting injured and obviously last year, so it’s going to be well. It’s going to do well.”
“We really didn’t have a bunch of time off. This year really felt like playing two seasons,” Kuzma continued. Playing from last season taking a two or three-month break off from obviously, COVID and the shutdown and getting into the bubble for three months and then resting for a month and a half and getting back into it.”
“That’s not your typical NBA season, offseason schedule. It definitely felt long.”
The Lakers experienced an early playoff exit after returning to the top of the NBA last season in Orlando. Now, the LA franchise will have the chance to regroup after a short season turnaround, which may have cost the team this year.
