Kyle Kuzma had a Milwaukee Bucks playoff debut that will go down on the wrong side of NBA history.
Outside of two personal fouls, the forward failed to record a single stat in his 21-and-a-half minutes of action. It was a brutal display that Kuzma is aiming to wipe out of his memory as soon as possible, telling reporters, "I look forward to Game 2," immediately after the opening loss. While he didn't blame it for his performance, Kuzma also revealed that he suffered a thumb injury in Game 1 and that it was "probably" something that would need to be looked at moving forward.
That injury, though the severity is currently unknown, could stack even more adversity onto his plate.
Milwaukee Bucks' Kyle Kuzma must bounce back with an injured thumb
The Milwaukee Bucks need Kuzma in this series. His defensive chops can certainly help in slowing the uber-athletic Indiana Pacers, while his offense, if he can catch a groove, could be a game-changer for a Milwaukee team with or without Damian Lillard. He's going to earn time, especially after Doc Rivers said the team needs him to be more involved after Game 1. Now, he simply just needs to perform.
Bouncing back was already a tall order, but now, Kyle Kuzma must also do it while dealing with this thumb injury, which could further throw off his groove. The official injury report will determine the severity of the issue, but it seems likely that he will play through it. This is the NBA Playoffs, and the forward knows how much of an X-factor he can be when he's clicking.
To avoid scoring zero points again, Kuzma must aim to play within the flow of the game and as one of Milwaukee's complementary scorers. His best stretches have come when he's cutting to the hoop or getting open for a triple by playing off Milwaukee's stars, but they've been mixed in with times when he still thinks he's a member of the Washington Wizards and can fire up any shot at any moment.
Kuzma has shown flashes of brilliance, such as a 22-point outing against the Detroit Pistons in the regular season finale, but he's also put together several horrific performances, such as the effort in Game 1. Only time will tell which Kyle Kuzma shows up for the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 as this thumb injury looms in the background.
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