Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma has just made history that he surely doesn’t want any part of. In Game 1 against the Pacers, his performance marked the ninth time in NBA history that a player has posted zero points, zero rebounds and zero assists while playing more than 20 minutes in a playoff game. The only numbers that he posted were two fouls.
There is no way to sugarcoat this; he had one of the all-time low performances in NBA playoff history. What’s frustrating is that he's one of the few players on the roster who has substantial playoff experience. He knows what it takes to win at the highest level.
He was traded for a player who is beloved by Milwaukee Bucks fans for this very situation. Ironically, even in Khris Middleton’s advanced age, we can all agree that he would have at least given us a point.
This was a game where his team needed help on the offensive end. They needed someone other than Giannis to score and create for others. If he couldn’t do that, he could at least make an impact on defense. They could have used his size and length to disrupt the Pacers’ perimeter players from hitting outside shots. As far as his defensive stats, he also contributed with zero steals and zero blocks.
Kuzma needs to remember Giannis’ words directed to him
About a month ago, Giannis vented his frustration with the media, and used that source to direct a message to his new teammate. Kuzma was just traded to the team, and he was trying to find a way to implement himself to the offense. At first, he seemed hesitant, and didn’t know when to take over. That is when Giannis told reporters that he needed to try to score and to be a threat. He then mentioned that they need him to be aggressive.
At this point, he knows what his role is with the team. He has some familiarity with the offense and the system. There is no excuse for the kind of game that he had. It was obvoius that the Pacers were the aggressors. They played with a style and tempo that matches what playoff basketball is all about. Kyle Kuzma was conducting himself as if it were another regular season game.
There were no attempts of trying to be an offensive threat. He was the opposite of aggressive. He is too talented a player to just sit in the corner and not be involved in the offense. If your shot isn’t falling, at least you’re breaking down the defense and creating shots for others. Or you’re crashing the boards and trying to create second-chance opportunities. But none of the above happened. That lack of energy was a big reason for the outcome of this game.
He needs to have a short memory and put the game behind him
The following days are going to be harsh for Kyle Kuzma, as there will be many analysts and fans who are going to be trashing his performance. Unfortunately, it’s deserved. However, the best thing that he can do is to put this game behind him as quickly as possible. The best way to shut off the noise is to have a great bounce-back game. Anything would be better than what we just witnessed in Game 1.
If this trend continues, then we shouldn’t be surprised if Doc Rivers gives him less and less playing time. He would essentially take himself out of the lineup and off the team when it’s all said and done. That is not the result that fans were hoping for when the deal was made. The hope was to provide Giannis Antetokounmpo with some much-needed support and to enhance his team's playoff performance with his championship experience.
That can still be accomplished. The momentum in a playoff series can change at any time, and it’s in his hands to shift it to the Bucks’ side. Game 2 will show us about his character and mental fortitude. We will be watching closely to see if he’s learned anything about his 2020 championship experience.