At first, the Milwaukee Bucks' decision to trade for Kyle Kuzma at the NBA Trade Deadline seemed a bit perplexing for many reasons.
However, with just a handful of games under his belt, the vision of how Kuzma can help this team is becoming crystal clear. He's an athletic forward who can spice things up in transition and take some of the scoring load off of the shoulders of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. However, the main area he's helped in thus far has been on defense, where his versatility has changed the game.
Kyle Kuzma's defense has been a significant boost in Milwaukee
In seven games since joining the Milwaukee Bucks, players are shooting 36.7 percent from the floor with Kuzma as their primary defender.
To make things even better, they've shot 11-of-40 (27.5 percent) against Kuzma in three games since returning from the All-Star break. Among players to defend at least 40 shots in the league across that span, Kuzma boasts the best percentage. Second on the list is Ivica Zubac, the center the Bucks just faced in a recent meeting, at 35 percent.
Kuzma is achieving these numbers when facing very recognizable names. Miami's Andrew Wiggins hit just one of his six shot attempts against Kuzma. Former Buck and current Wizard Khris Middleton was 1-of-3 with a turnover. Clippers' offensive maestros James Harden and Kawhi Leonard combined to sink just one of their seven shot attempts with Kuzma as the primary defender.
Kuzma's length, athleticism and motor are making a world of difference for the Milwaukee Bucks on defense in the early going. His 6-foot-9 height and 7-foot wingspan allow him to hound opponents of all shapes and sizes. He's brought a new layer of versatility to this defense, allowing Milwaukee to switch him onto anyone when the situation calls for it.
It's only been seven games, so the sample size is small, but it's hard to argue with the positive returns on defense. Kuzma still has to find his footing on offense, primarily with his decision-making and floor spacing, but that should come with time. The Milwaukee Bucks brought him in above all else to make this defense more versatile, and the numbers showcase how well he is doing that early on.
If he can keep this up, the sky is the limit for this Milwaukee Bucks defensive unit.
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