Kyle Kuzma has been on the receiving end of constant criticism ever since he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks back in February.
Plenty of it has been warranted, especially after the forward failed to tally a single positive stat in his playoff debut with the Bucks against the Indiana Pacers. Following that grueling outing, Kuzma finds himself on a list that no player ever wants to be a part of. In a player poll conducted by The Athletic, Kuzma received 2.2 percent of the vote as the NBA's most overrated player, indicating how his peers really perceive him.
The only thing Kuzma can do to change this narrative is bounce back from his Game 1 disaster and put together an impressive playoff run.
The Milwaukee Bucks need Kyle Kuzma to use this as motivation
Though it hurt to part ways with a franchise legend in Khris Middleton, the Bucks traded for Kuzma for a reason. They wanted to be faster, younger and more athletic to combat teams like the Pacers much better, which is a scenario they are currently facing. Kuzma certainly didn't justify the trade after he got benched in Game 1, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around.
Kuzma has shown previously that he can be a complementary piece on a championship contender, having won it all with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. However, based on the voting by the players, many seem to think he's a one-hit wonder and that he cannot help a team win again. If Kuzma can take smarter shots, play stout defense and be Milwaukee's hustle guy, he can shatter this thought.
There's also the nightmare scenario where Game 1 is only the beginning for Kyle Kuzma and that the best thing for the Milwaukee Bucks remains benching him when it matters most. If this is the path he goes down, his peers will be proven right, and the Bucks will look like fools for taking a swing on him and trading away Middleton, even with all of his well-documented injury woes.
For now, it all starts in Game 2. Damian Lillard is set to return, so some of the burden, especially on the offensive end, will be taken off Kuzma's shoulders, but they still need his defense. The ball is in Kyle Kuzma's court, with Game 2 being the most important game he's played as a Buck to date.
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