Everyone loves dunking on Kyle Kuzma these days. It's basically become a hobby for Bucks fans (and really, basketball fans as a whole) at this point. But here's something nobody wants to admit: he actually hasn't been too bad this season.
In 26.3 minutes per game, Kuzma is averaging 13.2 points with 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. His defense has also been pretty solid. According to Cleaning the Glass, opponents score -1.1 effective field goal percentage points and -1.8 points per 100 possessions when Kuzma is on the floor, which is good for the 69th and 66th percentiles in those stats, respectively.
Even when you consider his overall inconsistency, those just aren't numbers that justify the constant slander. That's legitimately solid production from a guy who's been jerked around more than anyone on the roster.
Kyle Kuzma has been largely fine for the Milwaukee Bucks
There were many reasons for Kuzma to put in a bad season.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has bounced Kuzma around the rotation all year—starter one week, DNP the next, bench role after that. Most players would've completely fallen apart under that kind of inconsistency. Kuzma has maintained basically the same production regardless of whether he's playing 15 minutes or 30. And despite the reputation he's built up over the years, there's definitely something to be said for that kind of consistency.
The truth is that in a limited role, Kyle Kuzma is a genuinely good NBA player who should have a role in this league, whether or not he's a Milwaukee Buck going forward. That's not a hot take at this point; that's simply what the numbers show when you actually look at them instead of just repeating the narratives.
Look, there's no denying Kuzma was a flawed player with many lowlights worthy of a Shaqtin' a Fool feature. Who could forget, for example, that rocket pass he threw into the fifth row against the Hawks in March? It doesn't help that Kuzma's career is chock full of clumsy, boneheaded moments that make you question whether or not he understands the game of basketball.
But moments are just that. They happen once in a game, maybe once every other month. What those moments don't show are the consistent plays he puts in to help his team win. While the Bucks didn't do much of that this season, Kuzma's numbers certainly weren't at fault.
Milwaukee's problems aren't Kyle Kuzma averaging 13 points efficiently. Their problems are Doc Rivers' coaching, Giannis planning his exit, and three years of roster mismanagement. Kuzma is just an easy scapegoat because of his contract and reputation.
The Bucks will struggle to find a player to replace Kuzma's production
The Bucks still have Kuzma under contract for one more year, but if they decide to move him this summer, some team out there is going to get a solid rotation forward for whatever Milwaukee's asking in return. And when Kuzma puts up similar numbers in his next stop, everyone will act surprised, even though he's been doing it all along in Milwaukee.
Sometimes the truth isn't as interesting as the narrative. Kyle Kuzma's truth this season is pretty simple: he's been fine. Not great, not terrible, just fine. And for a team falling apart at every seam, "fine" is actually better than most of what they're getting elsewhere.