A defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday highlighted the Milwaukee Bucks' need for Kyle Kuzma to return quickly. They lacked size and length on the wing, and multiple players were continuously fouling due to the mismatches.
The Bucks put up a good fight, but fell to a 118-113 defeat on the road. In Kuzma's absence, AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., and Taurean Prince took on the mantle of guarding the wings. The three of them combined for 14 of the Bucks' 26 personal fouls on the night.
Kuzma's size was greatly missed against the Cavaliers
Milwaukee failed to beat Cleveland last season, and losing by five points is painful when they turned the ball over 17 times and lost the free-throw battle 35 to 28. Thankfully, Kuzma won't be out for much longer, with the injury currently looking like just a day-to-day concern.
Doc Rivers has opted to use Kuzma off the bench, and in the first two games of the season, he looked far more comfortable. He averaged 10 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 60 percent from the field. The former Laker clearly fits this team as a complementary piece rather than having to be a huge part of the offense.
In those two games, Kuzma gave up just four fouls, clearly showing his size allows him to match opposing wings and not give away soft calls that can happen with Green and Trent when teams force mismatches. The Toronto Raptors forced a lot of switches to get Brandon Ingram on Trent, and the Cavs attacked the guard again on Sunday, as he ended the game with a 131 defensive rating.
It was unfortunate to see Kuzma's early momentum halted, but it felt like the Bucks were in good hands with Amir Coffey able to take those minutes and potentially Andre Jackson Jr. for his defensive skill set. Unfortunately, Coffey failed to register a single stat in his seven minutes on the floor, and Jackson's five minutes displayed his defense, but offensively, he offers the team very little, and the team clearly doesn't trust him.
Kuzma looks more at home coming off the bench for the Bucks, and it provides the team with a different look on both sides of the ball from the starting lineup. There is no date yet for when he is expected to return, but two tough home matchups against the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors will test those filling the void.