Kuzma has been away from the Lakers for three seasons. He averaged 20+ points per game in the past two seasons, especially last season when he became the top scorer of the Wizards. The 29-year-old Kuzma is at the peak of his career. He still misses the days of playing for the Lakers. He believes that playing next to James and Davis has helped him grow and made him understand how to be the core of the team. In addition, Kuzma expressed his incomprehension of the Lakers management dismantling the championship team after winning the championship that year. He believes that if the championship team had not been dismantled, the Lakers should have won the 18th championship.

"They gave up on that team (2020 championship team) a little too early. Pelinka was a little flustered. But you know, things move fast in the NBA, and you never know what will happen next. It's like a revolving door. We went through a difficult period, and then this finally happened." Kuzma said. This is not the first Lakers championship member to publicly express such feelings.

Not long ago, Howard also criticized Pelinka for dismantling the championship team in 2021. Warcraft said Pelinka messed up the dynasty that was about to be established. He believes that if the lineup is maintained, at least two championships can be won. It is worth mentioning that Phil Handy, the Lakers assistant coach at the time, commented on Howard's point of view: "Fact." Obviously, Phil Handy also thinks so. Generally speaking, the winning team will try its best to retain the championship team, just like the Celtics did this year. The Green Army kept all the rotation players who won the championship last season, and only Mykhailiuk, a player who was not in the rotation lineup, left, which had basically no impact on the team.

In contrast, the Lakers' operation in the summer of 2021 was outrageous, letting go of Rondo, Caruso, Howard and McGee, four generals, and all four of them were defensive stalwarts. The Lakers won the championship in 2020, largely relying on tough defense, with strong inside and outside defense. Rondo and Caruso's departure weakened not only the outside defense, but their organization and scoring were also important, and they were good at fighting tough battles.

With Howard and McGee leaving, the Lakers' interior defense was weakened, and Davis became more tired. With Howard and McGee, Davis' defensive pressure can be reduced, he can play as a power forward, and he won't be so tired. In the 2020-21 playoffs, Davis suffered an injury, and James was also in poor health, and the team was eliminated in the first round. "When we were leading (the Suns) 2-1, Davis was injured and everything went down the drain. That season was difficult for us because LeBron was injured-Solomon Hill hit him-and Davis was not in shape. We went through a lot of different lineups, we won the championship in the park in October, and then recovered. Then we played two months later, so it was naturally difficult, but (if we stay healthy) we can win two consecutive championships." Kuzma said.

Kuzma misses the championship lineup: "I think everyone gets along well, from the first to the seventeenth. This is the most important thing, because you can always see the atmosphere of the team. The team that gets along best is usually the best team in the NBA. That's the direction we are going together. We trust each other. We obviously have LeBron, the greatest player in history, Anthony Davis, and many smart, high-IQ veterans, such as Danny Green, Pope, Howard, McGee, and we have players who are eager to win. I was young at the time, and so was Caruso, and then we formed such a lineup." Kuzma also admitted that he learned a lot from James and Davis and brought it to the Wizards. "Learned everything. How to be a professional player, how to motivate people, how to train, how to be a businessman, a lot of things. I think that was one of the most important stages of my life. Behind them, really observe and learn. I am practicing everything I learned at the time and trying to pass on this knowledge to others." Kuzma said. Kuzma also received guidance from Kobe when he played for the Lakers, which is also a valuable asset. "You know, I think it's very valuable to enter the NBA at the age of 22 and then have such a person as a mentor who not only guides me, but also makes me believe in his words and do what he guides." Kuzma said.

Now, Kuzma plays the role of the leader of the Wizards, and he needs to help the young people of the Wizards grow. "The most important thing is to make the team better, and this is the most important thing for me at the moment. Because, you know, in the past two seasons, I have experienced the peak of my career, and I am still getting better and better. I like to win, and I have felt how to win. I think it's good to enter the peak of my career, but you know, if your teammates are not in the peak of their careers, you don't win as a group, things are not so fun. So I think this year is to build on this and help others get better. So, yes, this is very important to me, you know, to try to build a winning culture." Kuzma said.

Kuzma averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last season, and was the team's top scorer. Poole's performance was lower than expected. Kuzma was the de facto team leader of the Wizards last season. The Wizards only had a record of 15 wins and 67 losses last season, ranking second from the bottom in the league.

"Looking back at the NBA over the past few years, you will find that there is a new champion every year, and there is always one or more teams that are better than you think. Why can't it be us? This is the goal. As long as we keep working hard, we are united and work together, I think anything can happen." Kuzma said.