At this point, the Milwaukee Bucks are just trying to get to the All-Star break.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the lineup due to a calf strain, this team is missing its star and the engine that makes everything go. Despite a win over the Philadelphia 76ers recently, they just haven't displayed much cohesion. That was on display as the Bucks hosted the Golden State Warriors late on Monday, as they were out of sorts from start to finish.
The Warriors fought harder on the glass, played tougher defense and did all of the little things better than the Milwaukee Bucks to secure a 125-111 victory at Fiserv Forum. Given Milwaukee's apparent lack of effort, which involved giving up 15 rebounds to the Warriors, and consistent slip-ups, it wasn't a game with too many positive takeaways. However, there was at least one.
Kyle Kuzma looked solid in his third game with the Milwaukee Bucks
The trade to bring Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee was met with plenty of controversy, largely because the team had to move Khris Middleton to get him, but he actually looked like a solid contributor during his first three games with the franchise. He had his best game yet against the Warriors, flexing several attributes that could make him a nightly contributor to this team's success.
Despite being the new guy in town, Kuzma continues to not be shy on offense. Right from the jump, he was aggressive, driving to the paint and taking some eyebrow-raising layups but paying it off by making them. It was that determined demeanor that helped him tally 13 free throws in the contest - he sunk nine of them. The free throw shooting is very much still an area that needs improvement.
Between the aggressive drives and the free throws he did make, Kuzma managed to tally 21 points. That was the second most on the team behind Damian Lillard's 38. In addition to the points, Kuzma made his presence felt on the glass by pulling down six rebounds, including two on the offensive side of the floor. Without Giannis, Kuzma has been a huge lift in the rebounding department lately.
To be clear, there's still work for Kuzma to do. Not only has he not played with Giannis yet, but he also still looks a bit erratic at times. While he made several tough layups against the Warriors, a handful of them felt like he initially drove to the paint without a clear plan. At this point, he simply doesn't know where his teammates like to be or where they like him to be, so he has to get creative sometimes.
For a player who has only been in town for a few days now, that makes complete sense. With more reps, he will only get better for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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