With the news that the Milwaukee Bucks would be without Giannis Antetokounmpo until after the All-Star break, they really needed a big performance vs. a full-strength Philadelphia 76ers team Sunday afternoon. They got exactly that in Kyle Kuzma's home debut.
The Bucks needed to address their issues regarding youth, athleticism and energy at the NBA Trade Deadline, and they did just that. We are yet to see the debuts of Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., but Kuzma stepped up to help the team secure a 135-127 win on Sunday afternoon, showing all of the attributes previously mentioned.
Damian Lillard was sublime as he scored 43 points, shooting 14-for-27 (51.9 percent) and 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) from deep as he led the Bucks to a season-high 24 3-pointers. Kuzma contributed in all areas, especially factors that don't show up in the box score.
Kyle Kuzma's energy was infectious and just what the Bucks needed
The former Laker started at the power forward position and finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block. His shooting has been an issue all season, and his 3-point shooting let him down again as he hit just 1-of-6 (16.7 percent), but he was 4-for-7 (57.1 percent) from 2-point range.
Those eight rebounds came down to his hustle, and it helped the team mightily in an area where they have struggled at times. Having an athletic wing aside from Giannis has been missing for a long time, and Kuzma, throughout his career, has shown a genuine desire to crash the boards, which he did against the 76ers.
In rebounds, he finished second on the team. The same with assists. One factor that felt like a potential issue, having traded Khris Middleton away, was the loss of his playmaking ability, but Kuzma made up for that. Kuzma was unselfish and didn't try too hard to impress on his home debut as he found hot hands like Damian Lillard and Gary Trent Jr.
The energy of the Milwaukee Bucks' newest addition was infectious. We know what AJ Green and Bobby Portis can do, but there was just a huge uptick in the team flying around the court both on offense and defense, forcing 14 turnovers and winning the rebounding battle 59 to 47, with a ridiculous season-high 19 offensive rebounds for Milwaukee.
There are still things that need tweaking for the Milwaukee Bucks. They almost allowed Philadelphia back into the game, having led by 25 with seven minutes and 30 seconds left in the game. However, a win is a win.
The upcoming All-Star Weekend will allow Kuzma and the other new faces to gel more and build the chemistry that they need if they want to contend deep into the playoffs.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.