What the Milwaukee Bucks want from Kyle Kuzma draws a striking parallel in the opposite conference. Kuzma must find his inner Aaron Gordon and embrace the transition from primary option on a losing team like the Wizards to a backseat role on a contender.
Despite the decrease in touches, in fact, Gordon is more impactful as a Denver Nugget than he ever was with the Magic. No one would liken Kuzma to Gordon on the basis of talent, but the template for a successful transition is there. It's the key to Kuzma's rehabilitation of his value in the league.
Kuzma must follow Gordon's chameleon-like example
The Wizards gave Kuzma the reins as a primary ball handler and scorer, leading to pretty numbers lacking in substance. In both 2022-23 and 2023-24, he averaged over 20 points on around 18 shots per game. His usage rate jumped to 27.3 and 29.5 percent, respectively.
Similarly, in Orlando, Gordon took a high volume of shots and enjoyed a usage rate in the low 20s. In Denver the past two seasons, he attempted fewer than 10 shots per game with usage rates of 17.4 and 18.6 percent. With the Nuggets, it has never been higher than 20.6 percent.
Most notably, his scoring efficiency shot through the roof. His 44.7 field goal percentage with the Magic jumped to 54 across five Denver seasons. His true shooting percentage went from 53.1 to 61.2. While Gordon has developed a reliable 3-point shot, making himself constantly open near the basket is what has driven his efficiency spike.
Kuzma must take a page out of Gordon's book. Instead of hunting his own shot, that means putting himself in position for chances at the rim or high-percentage catch-and-shoot looks. He'll have to convert them, of course, but ditching mid-range shots and movement threes will make him more efficient by default.
Just sharing the court with Giannis Antetokounmpo sets him up for success. It's on Kuzma to capitalize. No, Giannis isn't Nikola Jokic, but he's not a bad counterpart. His combination of underrated passing skills and sheer gravity creates an abundance of easy shots for teammates.
Giannis and Kuzma don't have to replicate the two-man game between Jokic and Gordon, who have played together for years, but if Kuzma looks for them, he should have no trouble finding multiple cupcake chances per game.
Drawing on Gordon's role as a fulcrum on Denver's offense, Kuzma must prioritize setting up his teammates, almost all of whom are better shooters, instead of calling his own number. He doesn't have Gordon's floor vision, but he can still serve as a middle-man type of facilitator, funneling the ball around the horn and pushing the pace in transition. Critically, that doesn't mean matching his assist totals from Washington; rather, he just needs to make sound decisions and keep the ball moving.
Like Gordon, he'll also have to dig in defensively. While he can't match Gordon's physicality, he can get back to the defender he was on the Lakers' title team in 2020. As a primary option in Washington, he clearly lost focus on that side of the ball. Even coming off the Bucks' bench, he can earn more minutes by handling tough assignments on defense.
Can Kyle Kuzma be as good as Aaron Gordon? No. Can he follow Gordon's example? Absolutely. It's up to Kuzma to embrace the blueprint.