Kyle Kuzma has consistently been a starter over the last several years, but Doc Rivers wanted him in a new role to kick off the 2025-26 NBA season. In the Milwaukee Bucks' opener against the Washington Wizards, Kuzma came off the bench. Not only did the starting lineup look great before Kevin Porter Jr. exited due to injury, but Kuzma looked solid in his new environment as well.
Bucks' Kuzma finds success in bench role
In 23 minutes, Kyle Kuzma did a little bit of everything. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal while shooting 5-of-10 from the floor.
Right off the bat, what stood out was Kuzma's passing. In the first quarter, he dished out two assists, one to AJ Green and the other to Cole Anthony. Both guards made 3-pointers off Kuzma's passes. Last year, it felt like Kuzma would have called his own number in those situations, chucking up a shot rather than finding the open man. He still did that a couple of times, but growth is what matters here.
Kuzma has always quietly been a strong complementary passer, and the Bucks can use that to their advantage when they need someone to keep the offense flowing.
Defensively, Kuzma was active, consistently roaming around the hoop and providing support when needed to protect the hoop. His two blocks and one steal showcase a player who made an impact. While the starting five has gone small with AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. both starting, it always helps that the Bucks have a tall, lengthy forward who can play defense coming off the bench.
The talk of the town, though, was Kuzma's shot selection. That shouldn't be surprising, given that it is what drew all the headlines this summer. While there were still a few ugly looks in there, notably his two 3-point tries, Kuzma, for the most part, looked more in control and took smarter shots. He went to the hoop with authority and fought for buckets inside. Exactly what Bucks fans begged him to do.
In game one, Kyle Kuzma was solid for the Milwaukee Bucks. He still has some things to clean up if he wants to be a key cog, but he looked far better than he did when he got benched last season. It will be all about growing into this new role one game at a time.
As for the game, the Milwaukee Bucks secured the win, beating former small forward Khris Middleton and the Wizards 133-120.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.