Kyle Kuzma's abysmal playoff showing from last season is still fresh in the minds of Milwaukee Bucks fans as the new season approaches. With the forward still on the roster, he must bounce back if the team wants to achieve its championship goals. While the postseason performance trumps all, there were signs of Kuzma being an impactful piece, especially in the final 10 games of the regular season.
Bucks need to reawaken this particular Kyle Kuzma
During this 10-game stretch, Kuzma averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest. His efficiency was incredible, shooting 53 percent from the floor and 42 percent from beyond the arc. All of that goes without mentioning his stout defense, holding opponents to 55-of-132 (41.7 percent) shooting. He defended the second-most shots on the team in that stretch, just behind Brook Lopez.
The Milwaukee Bucks managed an 8-2 record in that stretch, and it's not hard to see why. Offensively, Kuzma being able to sink triples with that much regularity will force defenses to close out on him or suffer the consequences. Defensively, the Bucks have sought out a sturdy, versatile wing who can take on players of all different shapes and sizes for years now. Kuzma was simply a game-changer.
That Kyle Kuzma was nowhere to be found in the NBA Playoffs. His production fell off a cliff, averaging 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while shooting 34.4 percent from the floor, including a mere 20 percent from long range. Defensively, the Indiana Pacers tormented him, shooting a red-hot 51.7 percent with Kuzma as the primary defender. He was eventually benched by Doc Rivers.
It's not rocket science; if the Milwaukee Bucks get the version of Kyle Kuzma that helped propel that 8-2 stretch, their championship goals become much more attainable. If the postseason version is the new norm, the Bucks' aspirations are all but crushed. They need the power forward to have a positive two-way impact every single time he sets foot on the hardwood.
Whether it means bringing him off the bench, hammering home that he be wiser with his shot diet, or whatever else, the Milwaukee Bucks must find a way to bring the best out of Kuzma this season. He's still on the roster, so the team clearly has some belief in him, as they have from the moment he got to town last season.
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