Kyle Kuzma isn't a perfect basketball player. It's easy to point out his shortcomings. You can hop on social media any night there's a game and find a lowlight of Kuzma from that contest. However, that doesn't mean he's not a useful player. Lately, he's actually been one of Milwaukee's most consistent contributors. That's what made Doc Rivers' latest move all the more baffling.
Against the Boston Celtics, Kyle Kuzma didn't log a single minute. Not one. Was he hurt? Did he get the flu before the game? Food poisoning? Nope. After the game, a blowout despite the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Celtics missing a handful of players, Doc Rivers confirmed that the decision not play Kuzma was simply his choice. There is very little justification.
Kuzma had been playing well for the Bucks lately
In the four games before Milwaukee's blowout loss to Boston, Kuzma had been solid. He was tied for being the team's second-leading scorer in that span, averaging 15.8 points and did so with excellent efficiency. Sure, it's a small sample size, but Kuzma was red hot from three, knocking in 48 percent of his tries on 6.3 attempts per game. That's significant.
In addition to the uptick in offensive production, Kyle Kuzma had been cutting back on the mistakes, committing just 1.5 turnovers and 0.8 fouls per game. The erratic and constant turnovers he's so used to committing were nowhere to be found. Defensively, he was holding his own without giving up extra points at the foul line. He was playing great.
This version of Kuzma looked like a player who could help the Milwaukee Bucks with their postseason push, especially with star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo returning from injury. He wouldn't have been a needle-mover against Boston, but he could have helped. Instead, he sat there and watched his team get blown out as uncertainty about his role began swirling.
Kuzma's role down the stretch will be one to watch
Doc Rivers is using a new rotation every single game. Heck, in Milwaukee's last outing, he benched Ryan Rollins and put Ousmane Dieng in the starting five. At this point, there's no telling what he might do next. Given how things have gone, Kuzma could very well be back in the starting lineup in Dieng's place when the Bucks take on the Hawks.
Where should Kuzma get minutes from? Ousmane Dieng should continue playing a key role as the Milwaukee Bucks try to unearth his potential. It was nice seeing Pete Nance back in the rotation for a handful of minutes. Jericho Sims is still playing well. The obvious answer is stealing Gary Harris' time. Kuzma offers more size, rebounding chops, offensive production, and defensive versatility.
The question is whether or not Kuzma's rhythm has now been stunted. When he comes back, if he does, will he shoot it as well? Will there be fewer turnovers? There's no telling right now.
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