After spending the last three-and-a-half seasons with the Washington Wizards, Kyle Kuzma looked like a fish out of water when he got traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Asking him to immediately play a completely different style of basketball revolving around winning after the trade, he struggled to put the pieces together. Now, he must get back to playing winning basketball.
Bucks need a new Kuzma next season
Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor's Kyle Kuzma take has been turning heads lately.
“I think it’s fair to give him a pass for last season," O'Connor said on the latest episode of the Hear District Podcast. "It’s hard to go from losing for four straight years with no expectations to win, to suddenly starting having winning expectations.”
That take received plenty of pushback from Milwaukee Bucks fans, but it does hold a least a little bit of weight. In most cases, it's tough for any player to adjust when being traded mid-season, but it can be much more challenging when the new team is asking them to play a different role entirely on the fly. The good news is that last season is history. Now, Kuzma has time to prepare for this.
Rather than being one of the top options on the Wizards and shooting the ball 18 times per contest, Kuzma must adjust to being a jack-of-all-trades role player. He will still get his shots, but he must be smart with them. He needs to play off of Giannis Antetokounmpo's gravity as a complementary piece rather than trying to be "the guy."
History has shown that's how to get the best out of Kyle Kuzma.
Prior to his Wizards days, Kuzma was a winning player, having secured a title with the Lakers in 2020. While he still had the lapses like he does now, he played like a role player rather than a star, making it easier to see his impact alongside real stars such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis. His defense, rebounding, and occasional scoring burst were all embraced. Milwaukee needs him to embrace that.
Despite how frustrating last season was - Kuzma might not ever live down that brutal opening game against the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs - he has the tools to be successful. This team can always use more rebounding, versatility, athletes, and transition threats, and Kuzma has proven he can do all of that in the past. Now, it's time to get back to that.
Next season won't be about Kyle Kuzma chucking up shots and getting big numbers. It will be about doing all of the little things to impact winning.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.